Member
Lera
“Well, what do you like? How about you try mine and we can work from there.” Jacob suggested, worming his way to the bar. “One virgin piña colada please. How do you feel about pineapple and coconut?” He directed the second part to Lera. He wasn’t really sure what she liked and didn’t want to order her something she hated so twenty questions was probably more appropriate.
“I … uhh!” She stammered for a few seconds, before almost getting separated from Jacob. When it came down to it, she was taking far more time and care to skirt around the edges of crowds rather than risk plowing straight through them. She only needed to bump into one person and talk to them. One was enough … or was it just Jacob …? “I … don’t really know … I guess I could try it, I’ve had vodka a lot so I’m used to alcohol, just not the different tastes!”
"Well, let's try my drink." He said as the piña colada clinked on the bar. Thanking the bartender, Jacob pulled the remaining wrapped off the straw and offered it to Lera. "Try this. It doesn't have alcohol in it but we can get you an alcoholic version of it if you like this version."
She hesitated for a moment before reaching a hand out to grasp at the straw. Even in this more casual of moments she’d still do her best to try and move her fingers away from Jacobs, although this time, it was more subtle than before. She liked him and didn’t want to create any awkwardness.
Lera took a little sip, letting it rest on her tongue for a moment. “Oh! Wow! You’ve been drinking this all the time? Wh… what else have I been missing out on?”
"Uh, I'll take it that you like it. Why don't you keep that one and I'll order another one for me." Jacob chuckled, ordering another one for himself. "This is pretty fantastic but if we throw alcohol there, mojitos are my preference. Mint plus alcohol is the best." Jacob took a moment to consider Lera before asking his next question. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too… intrusive but he did want to know more about her.
"So what do you normally drink or eat then? Pineapple is pretty common around my place." Jacob asked, a little hesitantly.
Lera took the glass and began to take a few more sips, savouring the new taste. It had been a while to say the least since she’d had anything new and to have something so nice … well it was a good experience to say the least.
She hesitated mid sip at the sudden new question. “I … erm …” Not knowing fully how to respond to that one, for really, she just drank or eat whatever she could get her hands on, as unsatisfying an answer as that was. “I … don’t know … I just … well … I used to drink coffee, but not for a while … Back where I came from there wasn’t much choice, I just kinda eat whatever was around really…”
Jacob nodded along, a brief grimace flashing across his face. Again, it seemed like a bad question. Okay, asking about history is probably a bad idea. Again, Jacob thanked the bartender and sipped at his own. "Well, now that you're here, we'll have to take advantage of the situation! Maybe we can see if they do room service and try a little bit of everything! Expand your horizons and all that!" He chuckled at the idea, imagining plates piled high with Lera starstruck at all the food available. She seemed like the type that would do that.
"Well, we've got our drinks. Where should we wander next? I think I saw some garden paths and I saw a few other guests wander down the hall over there." Jacob nodded at one of the side halls as he sipped. "I don't know about you but I'm kinda done with all these people. I'm ready to bounce if you are."
“Wait … you think that they might have proper service here?! Like we’re just able to order whatever what we want!” For all her pretense at the still sort of withdrawn demeanor, her eyes betrayed her completely. The idea that she could have whatever food she wanted was enthralling to the young war veteran. For so long she’d lived in a place where whatever scraps you could get was deemed excellent and now …
“Erm!” Lera’s revelry was broken by Jacob’s new question and thankfully this time it wasn’t as hard for her to answer. In fact, the thought of being able to escape these halls full of people was a welcome one. No longer would she have to spend all that time next to anyone who could at any time ... Instead she could just spend time chatting to Jacob, something that just felt … well right. “A stroll outside sounds great, some fresh air, lovely scenery to look at … no one else. I’m all for it!”
"Sounds like a plan! Let's find our way out." Jacob chuckled as he lead the way with some help from the bartender. He noticed how little Lera wanted to interact with people earlier and took them around the edge of the room this time. He should have done that the first time but live and learn right? "And maybe they do have full service. This place is fancier than all of the hotels I've stayed at."
The garden paths reached all the way out to the Helicopter pad. Chest height hedges trimmed in an easy maze glowed faintly in the evening light as fireflies danced between the foliage and victorian styled ground lamps illuminated the slate paths. Blooms of pink and red Broke the green monotony, their scent tinging the cool mountain air. Jacob paused as he took it in, breathing deeply. Only a few others wandered outside.
"This is beautiful, isn't it?" Jacob asked as he lead the way into the maze.
It was a small thing, but she appreciated it, she very much appreciated it. She hadn’t even needed to say anything and yet he was just doing this for her, leading a path in such a way that they could stay on the edge, away from any crowd. Yeah … that’s why she felt it was so good to spend time with him, he was just someone who finally after all this time was taking care and consideration for her … nothing more …
Lera stepped outside and looked around, this time making sure to actually take the sights in, let them wash over her, pushing all the fears and worries of before somewhere else, those insecurities could haunt her most of the time, but she was not letting them get to her … not now.
“Yeah!” And she really did think so, the sight was so serene, no bustle, no people, no bombs … It was just she felt that she didn’t have the proper words to describe something like this, something so beyond whatever she’d seen before. Even so she tried again, desperate to at least say something of substance. “I … I mean … It’s wonderful! I’ve never been somewhere so peaceful!”
"Really? There isn't anything just calm like this out where you live?" Jacob frowned. In New York, and most major cities he'd been in, there were botanical gardens pretty much everywhere. This was a little more upscale than most but it still had a similar feeling. But she was right. It was an amazing sight and he couldn't help but smile at her wonder. It was kind of like seeing a kid discover all the cool things out in the world, just blown away and overwhelmed that these things could even exist. It was refreshing in a way; seeing someone filled with wonder always gave him a fresh set of eyes to see the world with.
"Well, this one is better than most but botanical gardens are a pretty standard set up in American cities. I'm not sure about Canada but if you take a trip back down, you can hit quite a few if this is the type of thing you like."
As he talked a little idea began to work it's way into her head, one that she would have never even believed she would want to think about again … and yet it was there. Could she really just ask someone she’d only known for a day to show her these sights? No of course she couldn’t, that was just stupid, it was wishful thinking talking there.
Then why did she want to?
“There’s just so much peace here! I mean … the mountains, the garden … everything! Then again I’m not used to big cities either …” At least not intact ones. “And you’re saying you have loads of them? How do you see everything?”
“Normally with your eyes.” Jacob had let his mind wander, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere after the stuffiness of inside and hadn’t fully processed what came out of his mouth when the question was asked. There was an ease to talk with Lera that reminded him of talking with friends he had known for years; perhaps it was that or the last lingering kick of alcohol that let that comment slip through his filter but he promptly slapped his hands over his mouth and gave Lera a horrified look.
“I am so sorry. That was completely unintentional.” Jacob mumbled through his fingers, embarrassment burning in his ears. He was mortified but tried again anyway. “Well, you just have to plan it? I mean, it’s impossible to see everything between school and work and the constant need for sleep but you take trips for you vacations to all the further away places.”
Suddenly everything seemed so much quieter, Lera had almost frozen as he made that simple joke, that little small thing which for many others might have just washed over them. But not to her, not to someone who’d missed so much basic human interaction over so much of her life. Who’d sat there years ago pulling shrapnel from her inhuman arm, a live devoid of much humour … and yet …
She looked at Jacob and began to giggle.
