RP: Books and shelves, oh my!

[shh_mandy]

Date: 22 June 2005
Characters: Mandy, Blaise, Terry if he decides to drop by
Location: The new library
Status: Private
Summary: Working and talking after hours.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[shh_blaise]

Okay, so that back rub Terry had forced on Blaise last night was really wearing off right about now, Blaise thought, setting one hand in the small of his back and pushing his stomach out in an attempt to pop it or just generally stretch out the cramp spreading through him from stacking these lower shelves.

For almost two weeks now they’d been stacking shelves. Well, stacking shelves or transporting boxes from Blaise’s cellar to the library. And Blaise was grateful for the thought they’d both put into the shelving plan, because had they not this would have taken even longer and his back would undoubtedly be protesting more from rearranging books when they found things that didn’t quite work. As it was they’d only had to adjust the shelving plan slightly, though Blaise was still considering that if he were going to do this library thing again, he’d negate those two bottom shelves altogether.

Blaise glanced over at Mandy who’s back seemed to be in a similar kind of distress from these low shelves. She looked tired and worn in a way that Blaise didn’t think was entirely related to the past two weeks work. Worn in a way that reminded Blaise of how she was at Christmas during that Roger thing and it made him frown and consider just how far he could pry given the many layers that was their friendship.

Mandy turned to him, as though sensing his gaze, seeming to shake herself from whatever thoughts she’d been entertaining and his frown deepened just a fraction at the look on her face and the too carefully neutral comment..

“Me too,” he answered, surprised at the honesty of that reply. But Mandy had been with him since almost the beginning of this project and a lot of it was her work too. When he’d realised she’d be away, he’d considered holding the opening back, and indeed he might still have to depending on the various staffing issues that were being raised.

Blaise looked Mandy over then glanced at his watch. “Come on,” he said after a moment’s consideration, walking over to Mandy and offering her his hand to help her down. “We deserve a break. A coffee at least if not something stronger. And maybe you’ll let me ease some of the tension out your shoulder before I get sued for causing my PA back damage.”

[shh_mandy]

Like she often did, Mandy felt Blaise's gaze on her as a gentle weight, something she was nearly physically aware of. They were two at that game though, observing each other in brief glances or overt scrutiny, drawing their quiet conclusions and acting on those. But it had never been an unfriendly game, and by now it felt in fact comfortable, comforting, she realized, something she'd really miss if it weren't a part of her days.

She smiled at the unaccustomed straightforwardness of his reply, tilting her head back to watch him as he walked across to her. She accepted his hand and let him steady her down on her feet, wobbly for a second before she got her balance. "Coffee sounds good, and the other offer sounds divine," she said with a grateful sigh, then raised an eyebrow at him. "How'd you guess I planned to sue you for a fortune and live the rest of my days in idle luxury? And here I thought I was being so subtle."

[shh_blaise]

“We should combine the two then. I have some whiskey in a flask, how’s Irish coffee sound?” Blaise asked, making his way through the stacks. There was a small kitchen that had been fitted and finished off a month or so earlier out back, just off the staff room. He slid behind the counter and opened the door through to the back, stepping aside to let Mandy go first. Blaise hadn’t used the kitchen much since it had been finished, preferring to head home or out for lunch if he could, but it had meant that he was no longer required to fill up a flask of coffee in the morning and somehow coffee never quite tasted as good when it came from a flask.

“You forget, this is me we’re talking about,” Blaise replied, smirking and letting the implication of his superior deduction skills hang in the air from a moment before breaking into a chuckle. “And your best friend may have divulged your secret ploy in his sleep.”

[shh_mandy]

"Mmm, caffeine and alcohol? Yes, please," said Mandy gratefully. "My brain needs all the stimulants it can get." She followed him behind the counter and walked through the door as he held it open, realizing Blaise intended to make coffee in the small library kitchen.

She raised an eyebrow at him in implied scepticism to his bold assertion, but her mouth twitched on a grin as he chuckled. "Oh, Boot, Boot, didn't I know it? I should never have offered to split half and half with him," she sighed. "He's not cut out for a life of crime, that boy. Entirely too honest and upright for his own good." And the best of it was, of course, that it was utterly true. Giggling up at Blaise, she walked towards the kitchen in the back, with him following right behind.