Jack arrived a few minutes early so he could get the car parked. He gave the keys to a valet with the very strict order that if it came back with scratches to him, or any sort of damage - he would know. And that he would inflict bodily harm. The car was new, after all.
How he dressed wasn't a far-cry from his normal attire. He wore a tie with a blue shirt, the nicer of his coats, and dress pants. It was suitable for a nice place like this hotel she was staying at. The restaurant there, Nightlife, seemed quite nice. And on passing it (taking a slight detour) he changed any plans he had made and decided to take her there. Somewhere they could walk to would be nice. It was difficult to have conversations when he was driving (the added bonus of him not having driven on the right side of the road for more than ten years made him slightly lose his touch
( ... )
Pepper wasn't unaccustomed to being given a once over. It seemed to be something her former employer did whenever she put on a new dress. Even in her new workplace, she'd caught a few of the guys in the office eyeballing her. Well, she did were skirts and had those mile-long legs. She smiled graciously, giving only the slightest indication that she noticed the look.
"Jack," she crooned in reply, crossing the lobby to meet him half way.
Jack moved to take her arm in his hand after giving a kiss on the cheek. "So good to see you again," and there was not a single part of that which could be called a lie. It really was - in every way, great to see her. He started forward, towards Nightlife.
"I can't complain," Pepper answered with a polite smile. Other than the plague of locusts and the monsters creeping out of the sea and all that. It's enough to make a girl crazy. She let Jack take her arm, prepared to follow where he led. Though after a moment, he was graced with a curious look. "We're eating here?"
"You know when you make plans and suddenly -- you make a very impulsive change? I just did that." But being impulsive was the nature of Jack. He did still think that he could take her to the Jazz club he had in mind. Small place, nicely decorated. But it wasn't open yet - as far as he knew. But Jack didn't remember much about his first visit there.
Her lips pressed together before a smile spread over them. "I haven't really been down here yet. I keep ordering in," she admitted with a self-conscious laugh. "I actually have a weird hang-up about eating alone in public."
"I can't blame you," he didn't even find it weird. He didn't like to do it, either, but he could remember a time. "Now is your chance, then." Along the way, he was the gentleman, opening the door to the place.
"I've just been ordering in. There are a lot of places near here that deliver." They're a lot less expensive too. Pepper may have money to spend, but she likes to be frugal. She nodded in thanks as she passed through the door, taking a look around the place.
"Swanky," she quipped with a playful grin. "You have good taste."
He smiled, taking the compliment. "It's nice to go out once in awhile, if you ever need company, you have my number." And while he was working and busy he could still pick up the phone.
"I have to agree." They were greeted and led to a place to a table.
"You could spoil a girl with an offer like that, Jack. I might start to think you like me," she teased with a light note of humour. Pepper nodded thanks to the hostess who seated them and settled into her chair with fluid grace. She was used to being in public and while she didn't usually think of herself as someone others would watch, she was accustomed to behaving as if she was. After all, she usually wasn't too far from Tony and people did watch him.
"Maybe a little bit," he returned the tease. He was certainly being spoiled by having good company. He noticed her grace, but Jack was someone who liked to watch people he was with. He was gentle when he sat down. "I don't mind, though. I can always use company." It wasn't like his home was lonely, it was never that. But it was nice to slip away from Torchwood once in awhile.
She bobbed her head in agreement. Company -- good company -- was always a welcome thing. "You said that you often travel. What is it that brought you to New York?"
"I'm not sure, now that I've made myself at home here, I have no reason to leave." Not that he could go back to Cardiff, Torchwood was rubble. And it was just a reminder of everything that had happened. "I have friends here, now."
"I have everything here, everyone," Jack said. He was happier. Ianto was alive. Owen was alive. Gwen was here - and safe. A part of him was okay now knowing that those who he had hurt, were here. "And it'd be so hard to leave and return to Cardiff, now. There's nothing there, anymore." He looked up as their waiter, a young man - attractive, asked them for drinks. Jack didn't even skip a beat as he ordered himself a drink - not afraid to flirt with the waiter as he did.
One of Jack's charming qualities. It brought a smile to Pepper's face watching him interact with people. He just seemed so very alive. In some sense, she envied him. Jack with all his freedom and his carefree attitude was her complete opposite. Pepper was married to her self-imposed obligations and kept herself distanced from others so as not to let them down when she was needed for work.
For her part, Pepper smiled politely to the server and ordered a glass of Marsala. Once he was gone, her full attention returned to Jack. "That's wonderful. I hope I'm able to make a place for myself here."
How he dressed wasn't a far-cry from his normal attire. He wore a tie with a blue shirt, the nicer of his coats, and dress pants. It was suitable for a nice place like this hotel she was staying at. The restaurant there, Nightlife, seemed quite nice. And on passing it (taking a slight detour) he changed any plans he had made and decided to take her there. Somewhere they could walk to would be nice. It was difficult to have conversations when he was driving (the added bonus of him not having driven on the right side of the road for more than ten years made him slightly lose his touch ( ... )
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"Jack," she crooned in reply, crossing the lobby to meet him half way.
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"How have you been?" he asked.
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"Swanky," she quipped with a playful grin. "You have good taste."
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"I have to agree." They were greeted and led to a place to a table.
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For her part, Pepper smiled politely to the server and ordered a glass of Marsala. Once he was gone, her full attention returned to Jack. "That's wonderful. I hope I'm able to make a place for myself here."
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