Just some usual business
Characters: Jamal, Rex, Sarah, OC
Storyline: Main
Summery: Jamal deals with some of bookshop's 'special orders'.
“No, no. Here. Look at this.” Sarah flipped a few pages in the biology book and pointed emphatically at a diagram.
Rex leaned closer to Sarah, peering at the diagram. “Oh okay. I see now.”
Jamal watched them for a moment, then stepped closer to the checkout counter where the two were engrossed in biology. “Rex, Sarah, I need to go out for a bit, so you two keep an eye on things until I get back.”
They both looked up startled and blushing slightly. Then Rex’s eyes widened as ze got a good look at him. “You have a date or something?”
Jamal chuckled. “No. I’m just meeting a customer for lunch.”
“You’re wearing slacks. You never wear slacks.” Rex looked hir employer up and down. Jamal was wearing black slacks and a silk burgundy shirt with a matching scarf holding back his braids. While Jamal always dressed nicely, his outfits were as casual as his personality; black jeans with a variety of V-neck shirts and sweaters, and T-shirts when it was hot.
Sarah looked back and forth between them, slightly confused.
“I do when I have to. And trust me, she is not my type.” He gave them a backwards wave as he walked to the door. He paused as he opened the door and called over his shoulder, “Be good.”
~~~**~~~
The fog of the past few days had finally burned off. It was still too cold for the café’s outdoor seating to be in use; however they had been given a seat right by the windows, overlooking the river. It was a beautiful view, but his companion did not seem to notice. She looked over the menu, tapping her manicured nails impatiently. She shut it decisively and placed it on the table.
Immediately a waiter was at her side murmuring a welcome. “How can I serve you today, Miss Olivia?”
“I’ll have the crab salad and water.” There was no need to specify, this place only served the best in bottled water.
The waiter turned to Jamal. “And for the gentleman?”
“I’ll have the beef barley soup in the bread bowl and Raspberry Zinger tea if you have it.”
“Of course.” The waiter bowed and departed.
They sat in silence, Jamal enjoying the view while Olivia scanned the café. The tables close to them were empty. The owners of the café had recognized the wealthy heiress immediately and ensured they had some privacy.
The waiter returned with their drinks.
Once he had departed, Jamal smiled at his companion. “How is business going?”
Olivia turned a cool gaze on him. “If my ‘business’ were going well, I wouldn’t have had to call on you.”
Jamal’s pleasant smile never wavered. Having to admit she needed anyone’s help always put Olivia in a bad mood. While she might play the part of the bored, young heiress who had nothing better to do then go shopping for a new Gucci bag or attend Society functions, the truth was she, like her grandmother before her, had committed her life to the warding of the city. Her position as a member of Society (Jamal always found it ironic that the majority of society was excluded from Society) gave her unquestioned access to many of the key points of the city. After she warded each point, she could then connect them together, spreading to wards out to cover the entire city.
“So what is it that the owner of a humble bookshop can do for you?”
Olivia gave a light ‘humph’ of disbelief. “You are just a book store owner and Paris Hilton is the epitome of decorum.”
Jamal grinned and took a sip of tea.
“I intend to invoke Bertram’s 6th incantation.”
Jamal looked at her over the rim of his tea cup. “That might be wise.”
She raised an inquiring eyebrow at him.
Jamal cradled the cup, looking into its depths, the delicate porcelain almost disappearing in his large hands. “There is a darkness coming.”
“And this is why I can’t stand seers. They are always so horribly vague.”
“Now, now, I’ve given you several very concrete predictions in the past.” Jamal protested lightly, shaking off the vague feeling of approaching danger.
“Which is the only reason I bother talking to you at all.” Olivia took a sip of her water, her expression still carefully calculated ennui, but her body began to relax as they fell into the pattern of playful banter.
Jamal just grinned at her and took another sip of his tea. They both knew that wasn’t the only reason, just as they both knew that Olivia would never actually admit to enjoying his company.
“And our food will be arriving … now.” The door to the kitchen opened and their waiter emerged, salad and soup in either hand. Jamal flashed a smile that on anyone else would have been smug.
Olivia muttered something uncomplimentary and unladylike, then put on her best, blandest public appearance smile just as the waiter reached their table.
She took a small bite of her salad while the waiter hovered anxiously, nodded her approval and dismissed him.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Jamal set down his spoon. “Since before today you lacked the benefit of my foresight, what prompted you to decide to invoke the incantation?”
Olivia set down her fork delicately and scowled. “Someone has been weakening my wards. Not any direct attacks, nothing I can trace. It is like someone is rubbing against them with sandpaper, not breaking though just slowly and constantly eroding them and weakening the overall structure. Bertram’s 6th is the best suited to give the wards the extra boost they need.”
Jamal nodded. When it came to wards and the incantations that supported them, there was no one in the city more knowledgeable then Olivia. “What do you need from me?”
“Banshee tears. They are a key ingredient in the incantation; however none of my usual suppliers can get their hands on any.”
“Banshee tears are notoriously difficult to collect. Not too many are willing to try due to the danger involved.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Can you get some?” Olivia tapped her nails on the table.
“It will be expensive, but yes, I do have a contact.”
“Whatever the cost, you know I can pay it. I will not permit this sort of attack on my wards.” Her nails came down on the table like the final slice of the guillotine blade. She picked up her fork and neatly speared a piece of crab.
“You always did take attacks on the wards rather personally.” Jamal sighed. “Will you at least keep me updated?”
She looked like she wanted to give a snappish comeback, but then her face softened. “I will.”
Storyline: Main
Summery: Jamal deals with some of bookshop's 'special orders'.
“No, no. Here. Look at this.” Sarah flipped a few pages in the biology book and pointed emphatically at a diagram.
Rex leaned closer to Sarah, peering at the diagram. “Oh okay. I see now.”
Jamal watched them for a moment, then stepped closer to the checkout counter where the two were engrossed in biology. “Rex, Sarah, I need to go out for a bit, so you two keep an eye on things until I get back.”
They both looked up startled and blushing slightly. Then Rex’s eyes widened as ze got a good look at him. “You have a date or something?”
Jamal chuckled. “No. I’m just meeting a customer for lunch.”
“You’re wearing slacks. You never wear slacks.” Rex looked hir employer up and down. Jamal was wearing black slacks and a silk burgundy shirt with a matching scarf holding back his braids. While Jamal always dressed nicely, his outfits were as casual as his personality; black jeans with a variety of V-neck shirts and sweaters, and T-shirts when it was hot.
Sarah looked back and forth between them, slightly confused.
“I do when I have to. And trust me, she is not my type.” He gave them a backwards wave as he walked to the door. He paused as he opened the door and called over his shoulder, “Be good.”
~~~**~~~
The fog of the past few days had finally burned off. It was still too cold for the café’s outdoor seating to be in use; however they had been given a seat right by the windows, overlooking the river. It was a beautiful view, but his companion did not seem to notice. She looked over the menu, tapping her manicured nails impatiently. She shut it decisively and placed it on the table.
Immediately a waiter was at her side murmuring a welcome. “How can I serve you today, Miss Olivia?”
“I’ll have the crab salad and water.” There was no need to specify, this place only served the best in bottled water.
The waiter turned to Jamal. “And for the gentleman?”
“I’ll have the beef barley soup in the bread bowl and Raspberry Zinger tea if you have it.”
“Of course.” The waiter bowed and departed.
They sat in silence, Jamal enjoying the view while Olivia scanned the café. The tables close to them were empty. The owners of the café had recognized the wealthy heiress immediately and ensured they had some privacy.
The waiter returned with their drinks.
Once he had departed, Jamal smiled at his companion. “How is business going?”
Olivia turned a cool gaze on him. “If my ‘business’ were going well, I wouldn’t have had to call on you.”
Jamal’s pleasant smile never wavered. Having to admit she needed anyone’s help always put Olivia in a bad mood. While she might play the part of the bored, young heiress who had nothing better to do then go shopping for a new Gucci bag or attend Society functions, the truth was she, like her grandmother before her, had committed her life to the warding of the city. Her position as a member of Society (Jamal always found it ironic that the majority of society was excluded from Society) gave her unquestioned access to many of the key points of the city. After she warded each point, she could then connect them together, spreading to wards out to cover the entire city.
“So what is it that the owner of a humble bookshop can do for you?”
Olivia gave a light ‘humph’ of disbelief. “You are just a book store owner and Paris Hilton is the epitome of decorum.”
Jamal grinned and took a sip of tea.
“I intend to invoke Bertram’s 6th incantation.”
Jamal looked at her over the rim of his tea cup. “That might be wise.”
She raised an inquiring eyebrow at him.
Jamal cradled the cup, looking into its depths, the delicate porcelain almost disappearing in his large hands. “There is a darkness coming.”
“And this is why I can’t stand seers. They are always so horribly vague.”
“Now, now, I’ve given you several very concrete predictions in the past.” Jamal protested lightly, shaking off the vague feeling of approaching danger.
“Which is the only reason I bother talking to you at all.” Olivia took a sip of her water, her expression still carefully calculated ennui, but her body began to relax as they fell into the pattern of playful banter.
Jamal just grinned at her and took another sip of his tea. They both knew that wasn’t the only reason, just as they both knew that Olivia would never actually admit to enjoying his company.
“And our food will be arriving … now.” The door to the kitchen opened and their waiter emerged, salad and soup in either hand. Jamal flashed a smile that on anyone else would have been smug.
Olivia muttered something uncomplimentary and unladylike, then put on her best, blandest public appearance smile just as the waiter reached their table.
She took a small bite of her salad while the waiter hovered anxiously, nodded her approval and dismissed him.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Jamal set down his spoon. “Since before today you lacked the benefit of my foresight, what prompted you to decide to invoke the incantation?”
Olivia set down her fork delicately and scowled. “Someone has been weakening my wards. Not any direct attacks, nothing I can trace. It is like someone is rubbing against them with sandpaper, not breaking though just slowly and constantly eroding them and weakening the overall structure. Bertram’s 6th is the best suited to give the wards the extra boost they need.”
Jamal nodded. When it came to wards and the incantations that supported them, there was no one in the city more knowledgeable then Olivia. “What do you need from me?”
“Banshee tears. They are a key ingredient in the incantation; however none of my usual suppliers can get their hands on any.”
“Banshee tears are notoriously difficult to collect. Not too many are willing to try due to the danger involved.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Can you get some?” Olivia tapped her nails on the table.
“It will be expensive, but yes, I do have a contact.”
“Whatever the cost, you know I can pay it. I will not permit this sort of attack on my wards.” Her nails came down on the table like the final slice of the guillotine blade. She picked up her fork and neatly speared a piece of crab.
“You always did take attacks on the wards rather personally.” Jamal sighed. “Will you at least keep me updated?”
She looked like she wanted to give a snappish comeback, but then her face softened. “I will.”