She's counting crows as the miles count down [OTA, MTW]

[sparrowhillrose]

Rose Marshall is standing in the doorway of the building that Olivia Dunham, Private Eye has her offices in. The door to the office is in eyeshot, and Rose can hear if the office phone rings, from down here. She may have to run to grab it, but she needs a bit of a break, and a cigarette, which is why she's in the doorway, watching the rain. Also

Comments

[meanttocare]

Oh, Rose. You know your boss too well.

Rose's mobile rings. And when she picks it up, Olivia is on the line, sounding vaguely irritated - whether it's at herself or the city itself is debatable. "I'll give you one guess why I'm calling."

[sparrowhillrose]

Rose smiles a little and drops her cigarette, putting it out with the toe of one sensible shoe. "I had a feeling I'd be out and about today," she answers, heading upstairs for her hat, coat, and pocketbook. Her keys are always in her pocket, no matter what, even when she thinks she's left them somewhere else. Just habit to put them there, most likely - and part of why all her skirts have hidden pockets in them.

She manages to juggle the phone while she shrugs into her coat, not dropping anything. "You really gotta get a map or something, boss. What if some other PI offers me a better place one'a these days?"

She's teasing, of course - she loves working for Olivia and she wouldn't leave Olivia without someone Rose trusted to look after her. She trots down the stairs and out the door, not bothering to grab an umbrella - she always loses them, and her car is right outside anyway. "You're uptown, right?" she asks as she steps onto the pavement and slides into the driver's seat of her car. "Between the park and the old Grand

[meanttocare]

"Even if they did, you wouldn't take it," Dunham answers, with smug certainty. "You might use it as an excuse to ask for a raise, but the day you leave is the day I really retire." And they both know how likely that is, no matter how many times Dunham swears that no, really, she means it this time.

She waits silently while Rose heads back downstairs, taking the opportunity to tuck herself into a little alcove by a door - not entirely out of the rain, with the wind whipping through the streets every now and then and driving it sideways, but better than out in the open. "Yeah, that's it. And hurry, would you? I'm getting soaked."

[sparrowhillrose]

Rose grins as she starts the car and takes off into the night. Olivia got her work and kept her from ending up on the streets when she first moved to the city, and Rose loves her a little for it. That and she's a good friend to have

[meanttocare]

Olivia grins as Rose pulls up, and manages to retain enough of her dignity not to run the short distance to the car - though it's tempting. She drops into the passenger seat, slams the door shut behind her, and turns to face Rose with a smile.

"That was fast. You didn't run over any cats or small children on your way, did you?"

[sparrowhillrose]

"You know me, boss, I know all the shortcuts." Rose smiles, and reaches into the backseat to grab a towel that she hands to Olivia. "And no, I'd never hit and run, what would you do if I ended up in the slammer? No one to make your coffee, answer your phone, find you when you're lost. Now dry off and tell me where we're going so I can get us there."

[meanttocare]

Olivia takes off her hat and tosses it into the backseat for the moment, just to get it out of the way. She towels off her hair quickly - it leaves it a slightly rumpled mess, but at least she's not dripping on herself anymore - and then pats down her clothing as much as she can while sitting in a car.

"Back to the office. I just want to pick up some things before I head home."

[sparrowhillrose]

"Sure thing, boss." Rosie shifts into gear and drives into the fog and rain - it'll be a somewhat longer trip, as she takes fewer shortcuts when Olivia's in the car, generally, unless it's urgent. For some reason, Olivia's always gotten jumpy when Rose has taken her on the shortcuts, and Rose doesn't like making Olivia jumpy.

"What were you doin' out here, anyway?"

[meanttocare]

Olivia keeps the towel draped around her shoulders after she's done drying herself, and slumps down in her seat, watching the streetlights go by outside. The fog diffuses the light into vague golden halos, not really illuminating much at all - and with anyone else behind the wheel, she might worry a little, but when Rose is drying, they couldn't be safer if it were broad daylight in perfect weather.

"I was... Nothing." She shakes her head, and gives Rose one of those bland, professional smiles that doesn't reach her eyes. "Working."

[sparrowhillrose]

Yeah, Olivia, and Rosie still has a job because she is thick and horrible at reading people, which are horrible traits in a PI's assistant.

Still, she won't ask. That's one of the nice things about Olivia - she won't pry if she doesn't have to. Olivia knows Rosie was just out of a bad relationship when they met, and was looking for a stable job with a little added security, but she hasn't asked more and Rosie hasn't offered. So Rosie can offer her the same - it's not like she needs to know the details of Olivia's personal life, anyway.

"'Course you were," Rosie says mildly. Hey, just because she doesn't ask doesn't mean she can't let Olivia know she's a bad liar. "Well, we should be back in about ten minutes. Fifteen, tops, if we hit any messes."