2020-02-26 - Coffee, Comics & Conversation

(TXT to Wayne) Katherine : I'm at Espresso Yourself, the coffee shop downtown, partaking in another one of my favourite things, coffee. [directions]

Kate had gone straight downtown to Espresso Yourself as soon as she escaped the comic shop. The first thing she'd done was acquire her favourite caramel macchiato and then she went to sit down at her favourite booth, her purse and her trades in hand. While she'd acquired some new reading material, it was the Esoteria trade that she'd pulled out of the bag first. Something about the story and the art spoke to her, and even though she'd read the single issues more times than she could count, she still wanted to check out the trade first.

She'd pulled out her tablet as well, just in case something important came into her inbox or if she needed to access some work document in the cloud or something. She wasn't too bad at multitasking but for the most part, she'd just listened to music on the tablet and just looked at the art on the pages, the story she already recognized.

(TXT to Katherine) Wayne : Niw now Kate, all I said was tell me where Miss Overachiever. I do know my home town.

(TXT to Wayne) Katherine : Better safe than sorry. 🙂

Which he did, at least he still hoped he did. Pulling into the coffeehouse, Wayne once more zips up rather than battle the cold. From his spot at the front door he seeing Katharine with her book in hand, coffee sipping, and tablet at the ready and is forced to shake his head once more with a rye smile. She was a multitasking overachiever indeed.
A quick trip to the counter found a white chocolate mocha materialize for his consumption. With a grin in place he walks over. "Is this seat taken or did you have plans already?" He lifts his brow.

Pausing the music from her tablet but still keeping her bluetooth air pods on, Katherine looked up to find Wayne had arrived. What he might not see, is that the tablet has a playlist pulled up and no sign of work on it. She seems much more interested in really looking at the art of his comic. Just prior to his arrival, she'd switch to the latest single issue of Esoteria, which was not a part of vol. 1, but rather a continuation. "Oh hey, I was just waiting for some good company," she replies casually, a smile on her face.

He looked around for a moment, carefully judging their surroundings. "I am sorry Miss, you just missed good company. All we seem to have left are the starving artist, wannabe writer types. Please make another selection."
He offered a sad smile before laughing. "Yes I know, I do not take myself all that serious."
Wayne pulls out a chair and sits. "What are you reading?"

Waving the one single issue in her possession, it's issue 6 of Esoteria, Katherine smiles. "I'm glad you don't take yourself too seriously." She looks up to Wayne as he settles down at the table. "I've just been catching up. I normally just wait for the trades but...this right here is the exception."

"Ahh the door by the lake. That was a fun story. Some feel dark, like man confronting his fears and denying there is more to reality than he has been taught. He wants to shake his cage but society says the norm is not to. Then there are story like that one that feel like Alice stepping through the looking glass to see another world. I like those as well."
He sips his coffee after speaking and closes his eyes, clearly enjoying the taste and feeling behind the drink.

“I do appreciate the darker side of your storytelling, but this...this is great. And I love how relatable your female protagonist is. I feel like I can root for her in her journey here.” Kate smiles as she takes a sip of her own drink. “I would love to see her featured in more stories.”

"It was a try for something else, a change to show a bit of light. I might keep her going forward." He smiles.

"I find her very relatable, is she inspired by someone you know?" Kate asks curiously, realising the unique opportunity she has to pick the brain of the writer.

"Oh I have a sister I am close to so I believe in girl power, trust me." He laughed. "If there are indeed parts of her in the character I shall neither confirm nor deny." He sipped his coffee.

"If she's anything like her brother, I bet she's really cool," Katherine comments with a smile, "So you have a sister, huh? Any other siblings? What's your family like?"

"We have two older brothers. Dee dee and I are not twins but I'd like to think of us as close. What's the family like? Well you know, a bit of this a lot of that and sprinkle on some mayhem for flavor. Yeah that would be us." He chuckles.

That's an aversion if she's ever heard one but Kate's not going to go full lawyer mode on him if he's not interested in sharing. Instead, she offers, "Only child, grew up in Connecticut. Parents were always busy, so I had a lot of activities to fill my time. It was a fun childhood."

"So somewhere between law school and ivy league you excelled and exceeded all expectations? You already had an impressive background." He grins before drinking more. "How was Connecticut? I travelled out of California and New York."

"I just really liked learning growing up. I loved school as a kid, and I never stopped enjoying it. I guess you could say I'm really just a geek and a nerd at heart." She pauses before she adds, "I spent a bit of time in New York, I love that city. Connecticut is nice. Cold. Snowy in the winters, like this place. I guess that's why I didn't mind coming down this way. Came for the big account, stayed for the small town vibe, I guess. I needed a break from the big city life to figure out what my next steps are."

"Well now that you know our winters, you are nearly ready to escape in the spring. Granted for a woman like yourself, slipping away to someplace tropical is an option at any time. Considering your skills I would say one of two big money players here are your clients. No, not going to pry any further." He sipped and smiled to Katherine.

"Well I'm expanding my client list. I really do like it here, despite the weather." Kate says with a smile. "I would definitely say it's an option I exercise from time to time but...not as often as you'd think." She pauses before asking, "So what do you like to do for fun around here?"

"Asking a writer and artist what he does for fun?" He lifts his brow to take a sip then, after swallowing, chuckles lightly. "When I am not doing what I call work, I do a lot of hiking and site seeing. Never know where I will find inspiration but its rarely within the four walls of where I live. So that was why I did the world tour." He nods with a smile.

"We should do that sometime, go hiking. I'm sure there are beautiful places around here for that," Kate says with a smile, "Or maybe you could tell me how to get in trouble around here." There is a playful teasing in her tone, and those who have had history with her would not know this part of her personality, but Wayne seems to bring it out in her.

"Oh I think as a lawyer I would much rather taking you on a hiking date rather than do something youd need to inform local law enforcement about." He laughed. "I do agree that we should definitely get out there and see what we can find to do. Maybe when you have a day off? How about dinner after work one night?" Yes this certainly moved finding a place up on his list.

A smile crept up Kate's face as she replies, "That would be lovely. I tend to want to hide out in my apartment since I work from home if I'm not meeting a client, it'd be nice to entertain someone. Keep myself from being all work and no play. What if I get something for you at the Grizzly Den and we could hang out?"

"Sounds good, maybe we could rent a movie and enjoy a meal together. Good way to end a day." He nods with a grin. "I'm partial to the big kid foods, chicken fingers and waffle fries with melted cheese. Oh their milkshakes are great, I am partial to vanilla. All the more reason for us to go hiking some time after to burn the calories." He laughs once more.

"I've got Netflix, and a big screen TV to help with that. Seriously, all you'd have to do is show up." Kate can't seem to wipe the smile off her face, and it's...different. She chuckles at Wayne's preferences for diner food. "That's adorable. I will definitely make sure you get your order just right."

"Then all I need is the address. Do you have some work you need to do first? If so I need to review a few things myself. Let me know the time and place, I will be there." He grins.

"Bayside Apartments, Apt 303." Kate responded with with a smile as she put the comic back in the bag with the others she had purchased earlier. "Fancy apartments by the lake. You know the building?"

"Indeed I do. Sounds fitting. Its luxurious enough to match the taste I imagine you have while also a rental so maintenance is covered. Not that I doubt you but I think you are too busy for it." He smiles back. "So are we going to call that an official date or is this our first date?" He grins.

Kate thinks about it for a moment. "We're just getting to know each other. We don't have to label it anything. I just want to spend more time with you," she offers casually.

"Very well we won't call it anything. " He nods.

Glancing at her watch, Kate smiles. "It's been really nice hanging out. I can't wait to do it again soon." She pauses. "I should probably get back to doing responsible adult things today." She smirks. "But I can't wait to hang out again. Probably in a few days when my deadlines are met and stuff."

"Sounds good. Give me a call. It's truly been my pleasure Kate." He reached to shake her hand once more before taking his drink to go.

As they both stand, Kate offers a gentle friendly hug. "See you soon, Wayne. I'll be in touch." And they both walk out of the cafe then go their own separate directions.