RP: Holiday shopping

[erica_allen]

Date: November 27, 2011
Characters: Erica Allen, Ariel Crabtree
Location: Target
Status: Private
Summary: Erica didn't want to go shopping alone and thought it might be nice to use this as an excuse to get to know Ariel better.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[ariel_crabtree]

"I'll be 23 soon," Ariel admitted. She knew, objectively, she wasn't very old at all. There were still times, though, when she felt old. Especially with the weather cooling off, and her arm and collarbone occasionally aching. Not with the same intensity as when it was really cold last year, but it was still present. "Lots of girls my age back home have at least one kid by now." She shrugged. It was a fat of life.

"Mm, how bout I'm relationship-repellent, then?" Ariel said, lips quirking faintly. They wanted in her pants, but that was just about all she wanted. All the relationship material type guys felt like they were taken, or there were better girls out there, or they had a career that was much more important than she was.

Surprisingly, that last still stung a bit as well.

Ariel tilted her head encouragingly when Erica admitted she had an idea, but didn't elaborate. "What is it?" she prompted curiously. Depending on what the idea was, she had a few suggestions she could make. She didn't know the guy, so it would be stabs in the dark, but anything might help, it sounded like.

[erica_allen]

"Ah, see, plenty of time still, then," Erica said with a reassuring smile. She was twenty-four and definitely wasn't thinking about having kids, and considering the way J.J. was with Lei, she had a feeling he wasn't thinking about having kids either, though that made her wonder what he did think about it. She definitely wasn't about to ask him, though; she didn't want him to think that she was thinking kids. And wow, her mind was going in circles now and starting to hurt a little. "Aww, well, lots of girls I grew up with have a bunch of kids, too." That was common in the foster system, though, and she'd almost ended up with one of her own.

"Hmm, there are lots of guys out there that want relationships, but I know it's a heck of a lot easier finding the ones who don't want anything serious. I was so not looking for a relationship when I started hanging out with J.J., but he was persistent, and... Okay, tangent, sorry!" She grinned sheepishly at Ariel. "Guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes it takes the right person coming along." And wow, was she actually giving someone else relationship advice? Must be the Twilight Zone or something.

Erica considered Ariel for a moment more before finally deciding to just go on and bounce her idea off of her. "Okay, well, you know the boudoir style photography? I was thinking about doing a photo shoot like that and giving him and album of the pictures," she admitted, her cheeks tinged a faint pink.

[ariel_crabtree]

Sometimes it didn't feel like plenty f time, though she knew that Erica was absolutely right. "It's sorta common where I grew up. I always swore I wouldn't be one of the teen mommas," Ariel admitted. "My mom had my brother when she was sixteen and me before twenty, and I didn't want to be like that." She shrugged a little self consciously, but it was the truth. She was uncharacteristically blunt when it came to her mother, usually.

Her eyebrows raised slightly. "If there are, I don't know 'em. Guys only really want one thing, usually." She shrugged again. She laughed lightly. "Don't be sorry. Your JJ sounds great, and definitely a keeper. I'm glad you found him and he was persistent." It sounded like Erica was happy, so it had obviously paid off.

She bit her lower lip briefly and thought. She knew, sort of, what Erica was saying. "I can see that he'd like it, yeah," she said. "Though would he be upset if someone else got to see you like that?" She didn't know, but the thought had crossed her mind. "If he wouldn't be, that would be a great idea, yeah."

[erica_allen]

Erica smiled in sympathetic understanding, wondering how much would be too much to share. Ariel seemed to be a pretty open person, so she didn't really think she would be offended or judgmental or anything. "Understandable. I grew up in foster care, so teen mothers weren't exactly uncommon. Almost ended up one, myself," she admitted, more at peace with her choices from back then after finally talking about them. J.J. had truly been so good for her in so many ways, and she loved him more than she could say.

"Aww, not all guys. I won't say J.J. didn't want that, but he didn't want it without a relationship. He was very stubborn on that point," she recalled with a fond smile. It had definitely been worth the wait, and she couldn't be happier that she was in a relationship with him now. "I'm sure you'll find that someone for you." And J.J. had obviously turned her into an optimistic romantic.

Erica didn't really think J.J. wouldn't like it, she just wasn't sure if it would come off as a little lame, like she couldn't have figured out something to actually get him. "Hmm, I think he'd be bothered if they were nudes, but I wouldn't do those kinds of pictures," she said with a shrug. And she had to figure that kind of photographer would be really professional about it, anyway. "I think I might do it." She'd have to look into it, make sure she wasn't going to get stuck with a perv or something as a photographer. "Hmm, I need to figure something out for Ezra, too. I have no clue what to get him."

[ariel_crabtree]

Ariel smiled softly, a sympathetic tug at the corner of her lips. While she was pretty sure what decision she’d make if she ever got pregnant, there was no way she could criticize someone else’s. She’d known several girls who would have been better off with that option. “I was a hair’s width from foster care myself,” Ariel admitted. “Sometimes it’s for the best, especially in those circumstances.”

“Well, that’s good then,” she said with a smile. “You’ve got a good one then. Not that many of those that aren’t already taken.” At least in her experience. Not that it really mattered too much, she supposed. The good ones got the good girls, and she was rather tarnished when it came down to it. She smiled faintly. “Maybe someday,” she said, shrugging.

“If he wouldn’t be bothered, I think it’s a great idea,” Ariel told her. “I mean, it’s unique too. Plus that way you can… give him the lingerie later as well,” she said, lips curving up into a smirk as she glanced over at Erica from the corner of her eye.

“I was going to get Ezra something, but I dunno what either,” she said. “Not a clue.”

[erica_allen]

Erica was relieved when Ariel didn't seem to have a comment on what she'd just implied. The whole reason she'd never talked about it, aside from wanting to pretend that it had never happened, was that she didn't want to deal with the judgment and opinions she was sure she'd get. "It was for the best," she said simply. She would have ended up on the streets if she'd kept the baby, and she would've gone mad with guilt and worry if she'd given it up for adoption.

"Yes, I do," Erica agreed with a small smile. J.J. was definitely one of the good ones, and she felt very lucky to have him. She had to bite her tongue to keep from trying to reassure Ariel that she would find a good one for herself. She just didn't know Ariel well enough to go around making comments like that.

It was kind of nice to hear someone else say that her idea was a good, unique one. "Oh, yes, I could!" she agreed with just a little laugh. She had no doubt that J.J. would enjoy the lingerie as much as the pictures.

Erica sighed, just a little disappointed that Ariel didn't have any ideas, either. "Well, I say we browse and see if we can't come up with some ideas," she said as she started pushing the cart out of the baby section.