2020-04-09 - Shelter From The Rain

She needed caffeine badly, so one of her first stops was to her favorite coffee place. She was dressed in a light -blue spring dress and a darker blue sweater, her camera case slung over one shoulder as she pushed the door open and stepped inside heading for the counter.

There is something about Katherine that seems different if you’ve previously encountered the brunette. Gone is the chip on her shoulder and she seems generally more relaxed. Her hair’s been let loose in long flowing waves and her outfit seems quite casual for someone like her, a cashmere sweater and black skinny jeans.

She is at her favourite booth with a cappucino over ice because for the first time in a while, she’s changing up her coffee order. She even has a caramel flavour shot in it. She is open with her disinterest in her tablet and the work she’s got on it. She is instead catching up on her comics.

Recognizing Katherine from a time when they had both been there before she lifted a hand to give a cheerful wave to the other women. "HI." She placed an order for a caramel mocha, walking over to a table near Kathrtined, sitting down to wait.

“Hey,” Kate greets the other woman, her expression calm and composed, a slight smile slips across her features.

Katherine puts her comic down on her table, and says, “The rain aside, I’m so glad winter is over. It’s been so...blah.”

She looked at the comic as Kate set it down "Dc or Marvel fan?" She bounced up to go fetch her drink when her name was called, coming back over to sit down once again " I totally agree about winter, now if we could only go a couple of days without so much rain." Shifting her drink from her right hand to her left she held her hand out to Kate. "I am Jewellia by the way."

“Neither. My selections are a little more nostalgia based, usually. This one though, my boyfriend Wayne wrote.”

The brunette acknowledges the reminder and replies, “Kate. I remember you from a while back. Things got a little busy and I had work call me away.”

Guesturing at the camera, she asks, “Get any good shots in before the rain started?”

"Your boyfriend writes comic books? That is pretty damn awesome! " She smiled. "I thought you looked familiar." She looked to see what Kate had gestured at and made a face. "I got a few but nothing really noteworthy, unfortunately. I did get a couple of good ones of a particularly nice rain puddle." She chuckles. "I will be glad when the summer gets here i swear wedding parties are what pay my rent for the rest of the year. What do you do?"

“Corporate Law. Nothing exciting, but I enjoy the work. I’m kind of a nerd like that. I didn’t want to go into business in the traditional sense but I always just enjoyed studying the law. So I figure I’d make a career out of it. It’s a really multifaceted area of law, lets me dabble in a few areas.”

Katherine nods. “Wedding season can get pretty intense,” she comments casually, “Sometimes it feels like everyone is getting married all at once. Nothing wrong with paying the bills, but don’t forget to enjoy it too. Life’s too short not to enjoy what you love. Things can change at the drop of a hat, for better or for worse.”

She listened as Katherine talked about what she did showing a true interest for the answer. "That does sound pretty cool. And there is nothing wrong with being a Nerd, I was one in school myself, but I decided that I liked photography better." She smiled "Photography is something I love doing, always have, so it really was easy for me to make a career out of it ."

She nodded "June is the worst for thinking everyone is getting married at once, "she chuckled. "It's a lot better though since my older brother moved out and started staying with me. He is a cop so that helps with the rent."

“I deleted my Friendzone account the summer after my breakup almost two years ago, June is absolutely THE worst for people getting married. I must have had 7 friends get married that month alone after my breakup. I was single and fresh out of law school so I moved to New York and ended up finding a firm to work with. The same firm that sent me here back in late October.”

Katherine smiles. “I hope the wedding season is good to you this year,” she says with a smile, “I might just have to hit you up for a fun shoot. I need to update my headshots and sometimes it’s just fun to run around and take pictures.”

"Ouch" she winced visibly. "Harsh that must of been hell seeing all of your friends getting married like that, especially if you were invited to the weddings and had been planning n going with someone."She winced again. "It sounds like going to New York was a good thing for you. Hopefully, them sending you back here wasn't too painful."

She smiled. "I would like that. I like taking pictures of people and animals. just let me know when you want to do it." she dug into her bag and pulled out a business card offering it to her. "My rates and everything are on my website."

"Yup, I bailed so hard on 2 of those weddings."

Katherine's chuckling, seeming to be okay with the subject matter, a far cry from where she used to be.

Taking the card she's offered, Kate pulls up the website on the tablet she has with her and heads straight for the portfolio section. She doesn't even really care what the rates are, she's perfectly good with spending money. She simply has a genuinely impressed look on her face, and a brighter smile appears on her face.

"Okay, I would definitely want to work with you at some point." There is a pause before she adds, "I wonder if the local paper could use a photographer. I mean, it would help pay the bills."

"I would have too in your place."

She could imagine what it was like to be dumped right before a wedding and then having to show up by yourself with everyone asking questions, it made perfect sense to her why someone would just nope out of the situation.

She smiled. "Thank you! An artist always likes hearing that they do good work, we are our own worst critics. " Th most recent pictures were of a local businessman Stefan with a dress-up hairless cat.

"Do you have contacts with the local paper, that would be awesome."

"No, I don't...it was just a suggestion for a way to keep you afloat during the wedding off-season. I'd check with the locals. I've only been here like, four months. I'll see if my client knows anyone."

When a notification for a work email appears, Katherine looks down at something on her tablet and frowns slightly. "You can plan for anything and everything, and it could still blow up in your face in a big way." She explains, "Sometimes, I just want to hang out, drink coffee and read comics. I mean, I work hard to get where I'm at to give myself a break then a work crisis shows up in my inbox, and the workaholic in me wants to check it but if I do, I know it'll drive me absolutely crazy. Gotta love being a responsible adult, right?"

"Thanks for the suggestion. I could always just head down to the paper and ask if they have an opening for a photographer."

She winced a little and laughed "I don't really know anyone who *likes*beng a responsible adult, well okay I take that back I think my brother does." She smiled and from the way she talked about her brother it was clear that she admired him. "I should let you answer that work email though, and I should get back out there and see if I can find anything amazing to take pictures of. It was nice to talk to you, Katherine." She smiled as she stood and picked up her coffee.

"I've been avoiding work, to be honest," Katherine confesses quietly, "But I'll contact you about your services soon."

Katherine nods and smiles as Jewellia departs.

Everyone needs coffee, and Zoe is no different. Right now though, her presence may not be entirely driven by the need for caffeine; she can be seen through the coffee shop window, conveniently stopping there as she peers up at the sky just a thunder rumbles overhead. Frowning, she touches her glasses and clutches her coat closer, then makes a silent decision to seek cover in the coffee shop. Once inside, she takes a moment to evaluate the surroundings, and makes her way to an empty corner table, where she proceeds to unpack her laptop and set up an impromptu work area.

Looking up from her tablet, Katherine notices the new arrival to the coffee shop and then glances out the window. "Weather still bad out there, huh?" she comments as she puts her tablet down and picks up the comic book she is reading, for what seems like the millionth time.

Katherine is at a booth, wearing a pink sweater and pink skinny jeans, her leather jacket next to her under her purse.

Zoe takes a moment to power up her laptop, then crouches down to find a proper plug for it, cuz she doesn't want to drain the battery in case she's stuck here for a while. The question from Katherine momentarily catches her attention, and pausing in her busy work Zoe bobs her head. "Looks like it's gonna stay this way for a while. But hey, I'm not complaining. normal weather pattern and stuff. I'll take that over El Nino any day." She opines before ducking down to finish setting up her laptop. Once done, she lets it run through the startup script, while she heads for the counter to place an order. "Regular black." She tells the barista, then asks. "You have free wifi here, right?" Of course they do. Once the barista helpfully points out the password printed on the cashier, Zoe nods in satisfaction and waits for her black. Which seems to be a good time to wander near Katherine, and peer at the comic book she's reading. "Which character is that?" She asks offhandedly, hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"Hmmmm? Oh, she's not like a superhero or anything, she's just a girl trying to figure out some supernatural stuff in her hometown. This story arc's got a real 'Alice in Wonderland' sort of vibe, the first trade paperback is a little darker. The series is written by my boyfriend, a local writer, Wayne Evergreen," Katherine explains, a clear source of pride for her. "He even does the art himself. He's kind of a one man deal."

She smiles and adds, "I'm Katherine, a fellow black coffee drinker and often times I'm parked here, working. Or at least trying to. You could say I'm a regular."

"Zoe." The bespectacled woman offers right back with barely any hesitation, but does gesture absently at Katherine's comic book. "You're not going to get any work done with a book written by your boyfriend distracting you, you know." She deadpans. She'd probably say more, but the barista calls out that her black is ready, so Zoe heads back to the counter to pick it up. Now with a steaming cup in hand, she sips the coffee and moves carefully back to her spot near Katherine's booth. No spilling any coffee now! "I'm not into that superhero stuff myself. Maus used to be my fave, but if you haven't read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, you've got to pick it up." Beat -- followed by an upnod at Katherine's book. "Can I have a look?"

"Yes, I'm aware, Zoe," Katherine says in response to the comment about her work, "The comic book is there to remind me to take a break sometimes, even when Wayne isn't around to remind me himself. Besides, I've managed to draft up three very important contracts earlier today, and came here for a caffeinated treat. I'm still responding to work emails though."

When Zoe asks to see her copy of the latest issue of Esoteria, she pulls out the hardcover trade paperback in her purse and hands it over instead. It has the first 5 issues, and it's got a very dark vibe in the art. "Feel free to scan this one." Something that Zoe might notice is the dedication on the back cover.

"To Kate, remember that hard work and dedication to oneself does not always make you an overachiever, it means you open doors for yourself. I can not wait to see what is on the other side."

Zoe isn't callous. In fact, she'd even put her cup down on Katherine's table before accepting the comic book for a quick flip through. It may be a quick flip through, but Zoe's look of concentration clearly shows that she's trying to get a sense of the mood of the book. "Moody." She decides, even before she flips to the end. "I'm not much of an artist, but I can appreciate quality pictures when I see them." And then she gets to the end and peers at the dedication of the back cover. She's silent for a moment as she reads it. "Huh, that's cool. Sounds like a sensitive kinda guy." At that point the book is offered back to Katherine. "Lots of guys I know get threatened by hardworking professional women, something about their testosterone not measuring up. Yours' a keeper." Zoe adds with a slight smirk.

Katherine chuckles at Zoe's comments, first about the vibe of the comic, and then how much of a keeper Wayne is. "He's definitely a keeper, I agree. I'm probably the least threatening of professional women, unless you come across me at the negotiation table or something of a corporate nature. Corporate law is not as much about courtrooms as much as other areas of law. In general, I'm pretty easygoing. I guess Wayne's brought that out in me lately."

"And yeah, there's a bit of a dark angle on the whole supernatural genre. But he seems to be really good at writing the strong female protagonist. He says his sister inspires him. It's hard not to gush about a guy who is that close to his sister." If Katherine were an animated character, she'd have heart eyes.

"So what do you do, Zoe?"

"Me? Depending on who you ask, I'm trying to either save the planet, or the human race." Zoe gives her short, chopped hair an idle toss, before reaching down to pick up her coffee again. Another sip as she leans against the side of Katherine's booth seat. "Or maybe try to regress society back to the Stone Age, take your pick." She snorts a laugh. "It's about as far apart from corporate law as you can get. Actually, corporate-anything. Always figured someone has to hold a gun to my head to make me wear a business suit or heels." She pauses and gives Katherine's attire a meaningful once over. "I may have to rethink that theory."

With a chuckle, Katherine says, "This is just casual me. I don't walk around in business suits every day, but I do love me a good pair of heels." Her pink sweater was cashmere, and not just a hoodie, so there's still a level of care in her selection. "There's no harm in a nice flattering pair of jeans though, they're versatile. You can dress it up or dress it down. Versatile staples expand your wardrobe in amazing ways."

She gave Zoe a smile and she explained, "I thought about getting into Environmental Law once upon a time...back when I was still an idealist who thought she could change the world. These days, I'm just using the law for my benefit and my client's benefit. Not so noble. At least you manage to stick to your ideals."

Zoe quirks a brow momentarily. "What's wrong with being an idealist?" She asks pointedly, but rolls a shoulder to shrug it off soon after. "You never know. Ten years ago even I would've written it off as a lost cause, but look at how much public awareness is around the issue now. In another ten years, we may be totally mainstream." She pauses to take another, longer sip of her black coffee, which gives her an opportunity to peer at Katherine over the brim of the cup. "Say, you don't represent the pulp mill in town, do you?"

"Nothing wrong with being an idealist, I admire you for sticking to your convictions," Katherine points out, a genuine smile still on her face, "If anything, selling out to the corporate world is the thing we should be having that discussion about, but that's not important."

"No, I actually don't. I don't know much about the local businesses. Although it's likely owned by the Addingtons, since they're THE Big Family in town from what I understand. Haven't been here long enough to know, haven't had any interest to figure it out. Why? What's your interest in it?"

Zoe purses her lips and shakes her head a bit. "I'm not interested in the mill; I /am/ interested in finding out about their reforestation practices. Washington State has one of the more progressive reforestation regulations in the country, but the USDA consistently falls behind on their inspections and enforcements, which means the smaller players sometimes fly under the radar for years before the USDA catches on." There is another pause, as this time Zoe looks backward at her table to make sure her laptop hasn't been tampered with, or worse yet, stolen. Nope, still there. With a shrug, Zoe turns back to Katherine and grins a little. "So, Addingtons, huh? Why does that sound like one of those scenarios where an old founder family with a million skeletons in their closet, running the town like their private kingdom? Do they own the police and make people disappear too?"

As far as following Zoe's line of inquiry about the Addingtons, Katherine smirks as she says, "I have no idea about that family. If you ever find out, feel free to let me know. I'm distantly curious about how this town runs but I've never cared enough to actually seek an Addington out. But the name is all over the place. The hospital. The park. The high school. The mayor's an Addington too, so who knows what's going on behind the scenes." Katherine shrugs but then she considers the question of reforestation. "I wouldn't know where to direct you but it's a pretty noble cause." After a pause, she suggests, "Why don't you move your stuff to this booth so you're not constantly looking over your shoulder?"

Zoe looks back and forth at the suggestion of moving her setup. "I guess I wasn't sure if you're waiting for your boyfriend. If he shows up at some point it'd be awkward for him, y'know? How does he tell this stranger sitting with his girlfriend to beat it?" She quips, but already she's put down her cup on Katherine's table, and without missing a beat she is heading back to her setup to fetch her laptop. Returning, she puts the laptop down and starts looking for an outlet. "Can you do me a favor? If I start poking around the mill, and one day you read about a missing environmentalist, can you call the FBI on the Addingtons? They probably had their goon squad drop me in the ocean or something."

Katherine chuckles but she extends her hand out and says, "Deal." She slides a business card with her New York Office information and a handwritten local number. "Here. Just case you need it."

Before she can stop herself, she adds, "I mean there's room for more at this booth, and Wayne's a pretty friendly guy, he won't mind. Besides, I love having your company. How long have you been in town? What do you think so far?"

Zoe busies herself a bit with the outlet, making sure the laptop is properly plugged in before she slides into the booth opposite Katherine. Just in time to take the business card, and a closer read. "New York? That's a long way to travel." She adds, then takes Katherine's hand in a quick, firm shake before sitting down properly. "I've only been here a couple of weeks. Barely settled in, not enough info to form an educated opinion yet. I mean, I picked this town to do research mainly because of the bay, so I'm excited about that, but ever since I found out about these Addingtons, I've been watching my back." She deadpans. Clearly. Another pause as she visually searches the table, and decides on picking up a paper napkin. After a quick pat of her pockets, Zoe pulls out a pen and scribbles a name and number on it. "Here, I don't have a business card or anything; I gotta watch how I spend my research grant, y'know?" She slides the napkin over to Katherine. "You can call me if your trees need hugging."

Katherine takes a picture of the napkin so that it's on her tablet so that she doesn't lose the information. She's clever like that. "Yeah, New York. My firm sent me to close a few deals in Seattle and take care of a client in Gray Harbor. So that's why I'm here. Mostly just trying to deal with some unfinished business and start over. That sort of thing." She's not terribly forthcoming with the details, but Katherine figures it's not something you tell someone you just met.

"I don't know about tree hugging but if you wanted to do, we could do the shopping thing. Or whatever. Or just hang out. I love a good bottle of chardonnay. Or some rum if I'm having a rough time."

The shopping suggestion actually gets Katherine a brief stare from Zoe, who then pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose meaningfully. "Booze I can do, but shopping? I do all my shopping at Salvation Army stores." She points a finger between herself and Katherine, breaking into a grin. "You and me will be like one of those sitcoms, where the comedy comes from the fact that the characters are a ridiculous mismatch. We can call it Two-and-a-half Chicks? Guest-starring your comic book boyfriend. Man, the comedy writes itself." She snorts another laugh, and picks up her coffee for another sip. "Seriously though, if you don't fancy hugging trees, what do people do for fun around here?"

"I mean does running on a tree lined path or at a park count for you as something fun?" Katherine asks casually, before she considers Zoe's words about them being so mismatched. "Aside from drinking and driving to Seattle for shopping trips, and reading comics, I mean there's a club I haven't been to that I could try out at some point, if that's your thing. I don't know. I just...the thing about a fresh start is that it's a bit hard to really connect, especially for me, someone who's been focused on her career for a while." As if two years was that long. In some ways it was, in other ways it wasn't. "I mean, I like to spend the money I worked hard to earn, but if it's too fancy for you..." She simply shrugs.

"You got yourself a boyfriend, that sounds like a pretty good start." Zoe opines, taking a quick pause to properly log into her laptop, and get some program going first. "As a matter of fact, running on a tree lined path does sound fun." She notes, as her attention returns to Katherine. "Cross-country jogging is a thing for me, but you will probably guess that at some point." There's a longer pause as Zoe takes the cup with both hands and drinks with a contemplative glance at the lawyer. "And contrary to popular belief, environmentalists do party sometimes to depressurize." A quick beat, and she asks with genuine curiosity. "Tell me more about this club?"

"Haven't been yet. All I know is that it's called The Firefly Club. If you get a chance to check it out before I do, you'll have to let me know what you think."

Katherine smiles at Zoe and she adds playfully, "We'll have to see if I can get my moody artist out to go dancing. He's hard to pull away from his work when he gets into one of those creative streaks."

As the rain dies down outside, Katherine smiles to herself as she offers, "I have my car right outside. Did you want a ride somewhere? I was just going to pick up some food at the diner and head home."

Dutifully, Zoe follows Katherine's gaze towards the window to check out the diminishing rain. Well look at that! "Nah, I'm cool, thanks for the offer. I've got my stuff all set up here, I may as well take advantage of the free Wifi and get some work done. I'm sure these guys don't mind." She peers at the coffee shop staff meaningfully, over the top of her glasses. Turning back to Katherine, Zoe upnods at her and leaves a departing suggestion. "Hey listen, when you talk to your moody artist friend, ask him about Persepolis. With any luck, he'll have a copy. Go read it, you won't regret it."

"Will do. And hey, we'll do that drinking thing one of these days, if you want. Just drop me a text or whatever."

And with that, Katherine packs her tablet and comics, before she heads out to the car.