Nudged into action.

[brokendoors]

It's been an interesting few weeks. Far more interesting than usual, and Ivy finally gets a moment to sit down.
But once she's on her butt, she can't sit still.

Caleb's spending the Thanksgiving weekend with his grandparents and isn't due until Monday afternoon, and she's lonely. This why she gets the urge to pull out her cell phone, and scrolls through the list of names.

And stares, bites her lip, and begins texting a message.

Hi, Casper. I doubt you remember me. Ivy, from the Nexus. Got a little boy with asthma. If you do, I was wondering if you were busy? Maybe get a coffee or something.

He probably doesn't remember her, and it's been so long that she's had an actual friend so she'll be really pathetically awkward.

Comments

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

It takes a while, but a short text comes back.

'I do remember you. How are you and your boy? I'm not busy. Any place you have in mind?'

He did remember her. While he hadn't actively been thinking of her much, he had on occasion wondered what happened to her. And how her son was fairing. She had been worried about him when they met, after all.

And, well... He was always up for coffee, wasn't he?

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

((sorry for the crazy layout changes. I couldn't get happy with one.))

It was pretty much the same with Ivy. In the back of her mind she knew they'd decided to get together eventually, but eventually is.. eventually. It was always tomorrow. Ivy likes to procrastinate. Sometimes she has to make herself do something.

I'm good. Caleb is doing better. He doesn't have quite so many attacks, and he's actually at his grandparent's house for the holiday. Where's your favorite place for coffee?

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

((I didn't even notice. :P))

'There's this nifty place in San Fran's French quarter. Or closer to home (for me) is an outdoors place near the living lamppost in the Nexus' Had someone told him five years ago that he would some day send a text like that and be totally serious, he would only have laughed.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy's still not sure she hasn't gone off the deep end. Living lampposts! Are you familiar with San Fran? I've never been there before, and I'd hate to get lost. I didn't even know they *had* a French Quarter!

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

'I know San Fran enough to at least know my way around. Where should I meet you?'

He did know San Francisco well enough. It was a city he genuinely liked, and had a few friends there. But if Ivy had never been there it might be best if they met someplace they were both familiar with, and made the trip there together.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Somewhere in the Nexus? That might be easiest.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

'The sign in twenty?' Because everyone could find their way to the sign.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy did know where the sign was, and twenty minutes was time enough to get ready.

Sure. I'll see you soon.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

Twenty minutes was more than enough time. All Casper needed was to bring his wallet and himself. He even had time for a quick look to check what the weather was like (thank God for Nexus internet!) and it seemed like good ol' San Fran was having a rather nice day.

Twenty minutes later he was waiting by the sign, watching people milling around and listening to them asking their questions. He didn't answer any, though. That he didn't have time for.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy needed to check in on Caleb at his grandparents, throw on some shoes and make sure she had a few dollars and her cell phone.

Soon she's making her way to the sign, steadfastly ignoring all the people and their questions.

And when she sees him, she wishes she'd considered applying lipstick. "Hi."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

Good thing then, that Casper doesn't mind the lack of lipstick. Hell, he doesn't even notice. He's one of those who firmly thinks that women doesn't need make-up to be beautiful. Hell, he dated a woman from the Victorian-era England a while ago who didn't even shave her legs, and he thought nothing of it.

He smiles that easy and welcoming smile of his when he sees her. "Hey." If they had met more than once before, he'd have had a hug for her too. "Good to go?"

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

His smile is infectious enough that she smiles right back. "Yeah, actually. Excited, too." she's trying not to vibrate with energy. "Coffee in San Francisco. That's really freaking amazing."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

It is amazing. And it's a sign how long Casper has lived in the Nexus, when he's started to take things like this for granted. It's good to get a reminder just how lucky he is to be able to go off to some faraway city for a cup of java at the drop of a hat if he so pleases.

His smile widens into a grin. "Let's not hang around here, then," he chuckles. "Right this way." he leads her through a portal. One second they're in the Nexus, the next they're stepping out from a building on Belden Lane - San Francisco's French Quarter.

Usually Casper did his travel by PINpoint, but that convenient portal was a nicer way.

"I try to come here a couple of times a year, at least," he says, leading her down the street. The café they were going to was just around the corner.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy is listening, honest, but she's too busy looking around to be much of a conversationalist. "Hopefully not Starbucks. Those are everywhere. Except for my old hometown when I was a kid."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

He laughs. "No, not Starbucks. I'm sorta picky about my coffee." He really is. It's his one and only addiction, and one he has no intention of quitting.

The café (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oOWEt14x2NA/S6zXuqkYguI/AAAAAAAACU0/3ZOBx1kSR0M/s1600/Cafe+Noir+inside.JPG) is on the small side, but makes up for it in style and atmosphere. It's also rather busy, but there's a free table far in past the bar.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

She grins. "Good. They always smell fantastic - like this place! - but the coffee never delivers." Ivy's pretty into coffee. Or. Rather, sugar and cream with her coffee. "I take it you've got a french press at home, and not a Keurig?" Ivy is dying for a Keurig machine.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Yyyeah, I have, actually." He grins wide an takes a seat at that vacant table. His manners aren't quite good enough that he'll pull out her chair for her. But as far as he knows, this isn't a date where he's required to have good manners. Just two people grabbing a cup of coffee. So he'll just be himself. It's not like he's rude.

A waitress comes by to take their orders. Casper opts for a double espresso and a chocolate macaron, and after the waitress has written down Ivy's order as well she's on her way to get their selected drinks and pastries.

"So, you said your boy is doing better?"

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy definitely doesn't mind having to pull out her own seat. She's not considering this a date, either. (If she had, the blush might be permanent.) She definitely wouldn't mind, but the idea of getting to know someone before having to worry about date protocol is a nice one.

Ivy orders a Caffè breve and two small thin, crunchy gingersnaps.

"Mmhm. Something in the carpets, I think. We got new carpeting, and voila. Better already. He's with his grandparents for the holiday."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

Casper nods. Environment is definitely important when it comes to someone with asthma. "Sounds good. What about you then? Stuck at work for the holiday?"

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

It is, and it felt like she'd won a war when she'd gotten her boss to buy new carpet.

She nods. "Mmhm. We had the local food bank come out and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to the people who actually live there, and weren't able to get home. So there was about five people, all huddled in the lobby. I feel for 'em."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"I can imagine a nicer time, yeah." He had a hard time imagining spending Thanksgiving anywhere other than at his parents' place. "How did you spend it, though, being stuck at work?"

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"That morning, me and Caleb sat in front of the TV in the lobby, drinking hot cocoa and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade." Grin. "He got excited over seeing Santa. And at noon his Grandma came and got him. It got a little busy after that, with people bringing food and our guests coming out. But I got a turkey sandwich and some pumpkin pie. I watched a lot of TV."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

It could have been worse, it sounded like. At least she had gotten some quality time, then. "Hot cocoa, turkey and pumpkin pie. Sounds like you got the essentials." He grinned. "Personally I was out cold at eight-thirty with a severe case of food coma."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes. There was sweet potatoes, too, but someone went and ruined them with marshmallows." she jokes, chuckling. "Your family does it up big on the holidays? Were your boys with you?"

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Yes and yes. My mom, and actually my dad in particular went a bit crazy when I suddenly brought my boys along. There had usually just been us three celebrating before, with the odd exception when some relative or other came to visit." The Robinson's didn't have all that many relatives, at least not many living on the western side of the Atlantic. "Grandchild fever or something, I guess."