RP: Lunch

[mollylarson]

Date: March 16th, 2011 | lunchtime
Characters: Jack Avery, Molly Larson, Lupe Espinoza
Location: Benitos on Magnolia
Status: Private
Summary: The girls grab lunch. 
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[lupe_espinoza]

Lupe couldn't always get away from work long enough to do lunch out, but she and Rico had had a relatively light day so far. Sometimes cases were constant and developing quickly; sometimes they moved in fits and starts. It was an adjustment from being on the beat, when you always had somewhere to be, a detail to be on.

She was looking forward to seeing the girls, but was running slightly late (as usual) due to having to drop Mattie's lunch off at school, which he'd forgotten. He was supposed to have pocket money for these occasions, but it had been already spent on some mysterious other thing. She'd find out what later.

Molly was at Benito's when she arrived, and she lifted a hand in a wave as she bypassed the hostess and joined her at the table. "Molly!" She grinned. "Jack texted by the way, work's got her running a little late. It's nice not arrive last for once."

[mollylarson]

Molly grinned when she heard Lupe. Putting her cell back in her purse, Molly stood up and gave her a hug. "Good to see you, stranger."

"You're not that late, so no worries." Molly shrugged. She'd known she was going to be there before anyone else. It wasn't a thing.

"How is Mattie? Everything going well?" she asked quickly, sitting and and grinning.

[lupe_espinoza]

Lupe returned her hug and pulled back smiling. "At least I remembered what you look like. Probably the hair, no?" She took a seat. It really had been a while since she'd seen Molly, as her new schedule didn't allow her as much time to stop by the hospital and have lunch with her mother, who was also a nurse. Her job didn't even take her to the hospital as much as it used to when she'd been on patrol. "Yes, well, I'm never that late. Just behind enough to have to dash from place to place."

She put her bag on one of the empty chairs, not realizing until she put it down that it was even more heavy and overfull than usual today. "Things are good. Mattie's well, and he'll probably be taller than me before too long. What have you been up to though, how are things at the hospital?"

[mollylarson]

"Seriously? Damn. That kid's a freaking bamboo shoot." She shook her head and thought fondly of Lupe's little guy. "Still cute as can be, though."

"Things at the hospital are fine. The same, mostly." Molly shrugged, figuring she'd wait for Jack to mention Aaron. Plus, she wasn't really sure how one brought that sort of thing up. "Otherwise things are good."

"How is the new job? I don't think I've seen you since you started. Are you liking it?" Molly couldn't imagine doing what Lupe did, but she supposed it was all relative.

[jackavery]

Jack didn't have lunch plans for the rest of the week, so it was so typical that the one afternoon she was trying to leave a little early would be the day she got sucked into a conference call that was neverending. Not even the random emails that Cale sent her from his phone had entertained her today. Too much.

She groaned as she checked her phone and sent him a quick text reminding him that she was having lunch with friends so to save his random thoughts for later. The fact that he could make her feel so amused and frustrated at the same time was further proof that Lupe should have just done the damn intervention before it was too late.

When she entered the restaurant, she saw her friends and quickly crossed the room. "Sorry. Boring conference call ran late," she said, sliding into a chair. "How are you both?"

[lupe_espinoza]

"At least you don't have a Lieutenant blaring in your ear a couple times a week?" Lupe actually admired Lt. Jackson for being such a hard-ass and wanted to be as seasoned and skilled as she was, but yeah, definitely a hard-ass. She grinned. "Glad you could make it, Jack. And I was just catching Molly up about my new job, as well as mildly exaggerating about how much Mattie's growing." She took a sip of water. "I also ordered chips to start."

[mollylarson]

Molly waved as Jack sat down. "Sounds exhilarating. Truly," Molly said dryly.

"Some of the docs are beyond difficult, but I can't imagine they are as challenging as a lieutenant." Molly took a sip of her diet coke and glanced over at Jack. "How are you, dear? Anything exciting happening lately?" Molly had left her alone on her birthday as requested. Still shot her an email, but left it at that.

[jackavery]

"Mattie is growing up too fast," Jack said, shaking her head. "Seeing him always makes me feel so old. How can he be so old, Lupe?" She smiled and looked at Molly. "I'm doing well. Renovations on my house have finally started, and my new tenant is a sweet young woman who doesn't fuss about anything."

She was about to agree regarding the attitude of some of the doctors when she heard the text message notification. That ass. Of course he'd had to send another one when she'd told him not to. She should ignore it, but she couldn't. She quickly checked it, snorting as she read his question regarding burning ears and penis talk before firing off a quick reply that women don't sit around discussing male anatomy before she turned her phone to vibrate and put it in her bag. That way, she could ignore it more easily. Looking up, she smiled. "Sorry about that. I'm glad you ordered chips, Lupe. I'm starving. It's been such a busy day already. How's your asshole partner?"

[lupe_espinoza]

"Having him at twenty, that's how," Lupe said wryly. "And that's the tenant you were telling me about? How's she settling in?" It had to have been over a month now since the weekend Jack had mentioned she was moving in.

Lupe lifted a brow as Jack fired off a text, wondering what that had been about. "Not a problem," she said, smiling faintly, "On both counts." She made a sort of wishy-washy, 'so-so' gesture with her hands. "Eh, Rico's fine. He tries not to patronize me too much, I try not to throttle him, lather, rinse, repeat."

[mollylarson]

Molly watched Lupe's reaction to Jack's apparent texting. Meeting her eyes, Molly raised an eyebrow and grinned. She knew better than to push her, though. Plus, everyone was allowed to text. Or whatever.

"Glad to hear the tenant is working out. And the renovations, too." Molly wasn't sure if she could deal with a roommate at this point in her life, but she didn't own a house, either.

"That just makes you a fun mom, though, Lupe You'll have enough energy to keep up with him. Plus, you'll get the trends and new stuff better that his freind's parents."

[lupe_espinoza]

"A fun mom, huh?" Lupe chuckled and wondered if Mattie agreed. "Well I do have plenty of energy to spare, at any rate." When she'd been pregnant with Mattie, before he'd truly been Mattie to her, she hadn't been able to see a single good thing about her situation, but she didn't like thinking back to that time. She couldn't look at Mattie now and imagine not having him.

The chips and queso were brought over, and she reached for one. "I'm glad the renovations are going well, too. Hopefully the crew does a good job for you." Her gaze flicked up to meet Jack's and hold it for a moment, her expression equal parts concern and wicked gleam.

[jackavery]

Jack ordered an iced tea when their chips arrived and scanned the menu. She looked up sharply when Lupe mentioned her renovations. "They're going very well," she said primly, arching a brow as she set down the menu. It wasn't like she didn't already know what she wanted anyway.

"Max, the foreman, is very good at his job, and the rest of the crew is focused and careful with the property." She pursed her lips. "Their boss, however, is a pain in the ass, but I'm sure he'd take that as a compliment. He's stubborn and crazy and determined and infuriating." She nodded her head once for emphasis before turning to look at Molly. "So, Molly, how is Aaron? Any more dates recently?"

[mollylarson]

"Determined, crazy, and infuriating?" Molly looked carefully at Jack, and then back to Lupe. She was obviously missing something. "Okay, fill me in. Clearly I'm behind, here."

Molly smiled. "Yeah, definitely. He's awesome. We're seeing each other, or however you want to define it." She shrugged. She wasn't going to gush, but she certainly could. Aaron was...yeah. He was amazing.

She was looking forward to seeing him this weekend- they were both too busy to spend time together every day, though they talked very frequently. It would be far too easy to just suggest he come crash with her, so Molly was avoiding that. It wasn't a bad thing, but she didn't want them to rush into something more serious than either of them were ready for.

[lupe_espinoza]

"That would be Cale the Contractor," Lupe offered, but she didn't elaborate because she didn't think Jack would want her to fill Molly in for her, so she kept her mouth shut rather than tease for the moment. Much as she enjoyed that Jack had this little thing going on and how it seemed to be making her smile now, she also knew how conflicted and afraid she was. Could relate to it.

"You're seeing someone?" The question came out slightly awkward at the end as Lupe had barely managed to leave off the 'too'; it'd been on the very tip of her tongue until she'd closed her mouth and reached for her water. "That's a big deal, right?" As far as she knew, Molly didn't, or hadn't dated much.

[jackavery]

"Oh, Molly. That's great. From your emails, it was obvious that you liked him," Jack said. "I'm glad things are working out."

She wagged her finger at Lupe. "Stop that. Cale the Contractor makes him sound as if he should be starring in one of those cartoons Mattie used to watch." She looked at Molly and arched a brow. "Yes, he's infuriating. I told you that he insisted our first business meeting happen over dinner that he prepared. You said he was flirting. I disagreed." She rolled her eyes. "You were right. He was, it seems, and now everything's mixed up."

She took a chip and dipped it into the queso. She looked at Lupe and sighed. "I told him. About what happened to me. He still wanted to date me anyway. Can you imagine? He's too young and flirtateous and good-looking to deal with damaged goods, but he hasn't given up yet. Not that he's asked me out on a date. No, it's friendly lunches and random emails and text messages all the time, whenever he's thinking of me, he's claimed. Hmph. He's trying to drive me crazy, I think."

[lupe_espinoza]

"I can't be blamed for random Nickelodeon references," she protested. "Goes with the territory unforunately. And of course Molly was right. I may not have the deepest well of experience but a man doesn't offer to cook for a woman without wanting to engage in some serious flirting." She looked over at Molly then, with a wry smile. "She should really listen to us more."

Lupe sobered at Jack's next bit of news. "Oh, honey," she said, reaching for Jack's hand to squeeze briefly. If Jack had told him about everything, if she'd actually talked about it, Lupe thought that this was an even bigger deal than either of them had thought. She didn't say that aloud, though. "Of course he still wants you; there's nothing damaged about you--and please. I don't care how old he is; you spending time with him means he's never had it so good. Jack, it sounds like he cares for you."