2020-07-11 - Planning in the Face of a Storm

One of the nicer things about Eleanor being out at the cabin is getting to drive in with her. They trade who drives, though it's easy enough to use one car since August can always use a work truck to come back if they have to split for the trip home.

It's his turn to drive, so once the animals are fed and set up to enjoy their lovely summer day, off they go. It's always a lovely commute, as these things go, if still something Eleanor gets to work on. But that's why August doesn't mind driving, so she can focus on going through work items. Or, in today's case, wedding planning items.

"So, I talked to that working farm, and they've got a nice little indoor spot in a converted barn for in case of rain. Basically a meeting space they can set up for an indoor service. Which sounds to me like a shoe-in, since they otherwise had everything we were looking for." He looks askance at her, as always gauging how she's doing with the woodsy part of the drive.

She's gotten considerably better, but she still has moments of unease along the drive. Areas where the trees seem to be sickly or dying make her tense up considerably. Eleanor has learned to combat it somewhat, by focusing on work things, or wedding things today. "That does sound like it's just what we're looking for," she admits with a smile, jotting down notes and circling that entry in her list of possible venues. "I can call them today and see if we can save the date. I need to drop into Patisserie Vydal and let Chef Vyv know I'll be cashing in my Christmas raffle win for our wedding cake. We'll need to probably do a tasting there and decide what we want it to look like."

She's dressed for work in jeans and a cute top, her hair styled and contacts in. There's even a little makeup today. She's been feeling saucy lately, with things starting to come together, and plans in place to free Addie by helping Modr.

August is also dressed for work, though in his case that means a t-shirt he won't mind being stained or destroyed (mineral wash gray for today), denim jeans, and heavy hiking boots. Any time they go by the trees struggling with ailments he reaches out to take one of her hands and give it a squeeze. For all that he broke his own bathroom mirror after she saw a ghost in it, the conviction it's triggered in her is a welcome thing. Plans and forward motion feel a lot better than waiting for what comes next.

He nods in agreement about saving the date and cake taste testing. "What were you thinking for cake toppers?" He cuts her a teasing look. "An elk and a fox?" The Outback turns into Spruce as they head towards downtown and Espresso Yourself.

"An elk and a fox makes perfect sense to us, but would it to any of our family and friends?" Eleanor asks with a small chuckle. "Not that this is to make them happy, just have to decide if we want to come up with a reason for our choice to tell the uninitiated." Like her parents who have no concept of Glimmer or what really happens in Gray Harbor. "We could put them on top of the groom's cake though, no one would question it since you were a forester." She grins over at him and returns the squeeze of his hand. His presence is the most solidifying thing for her.

"What are we thinking for cake flavors? If we do multiple tiers we can do multiple combinations. I'd rather we do minimal fondant if possible. That stuff tastes gross."

August winces and shrugs. It's true, his family lack the Art too, which means animal toppers wouldn't mean much. Well, maybe the fox would, since Eleanor has red hair. "Mmmm, true. Maybe...a pair of trees growing together." He arches an eyebrow, gives her a sidelong glance, then back to the road. "Groom's cake should be fine for the animals."

He mulls over cake flavors. Something makes him laugh. "Maybe coffee. Is that a thing, coffee-flavored cake?" The mention of fondant has him making a face. "I'm all for minimal, or even none. Zelda had them do only buttercream and icing scrollwork, then the florist put all kinds of flowers on it in lieu of any fondant. We just took them off to serve it." Unlike Hannah, who'd gone with fondant, and totally regretted it. Zelda and August constantly reminded her that she'd spared them the grief, which was something.

Something catches August's eye outside the car, and he starts to slow down. "What the Christ," he murmurs. Where the brick building which was Control Pad had once stood is a blackened, burned out wreck, dripping with fire retardant and water and bordered by bold yellow police tape and various barricades. People are milling around on the street, taking pictures and murmuring to one another.

"Oh I like the idea of the trees growing together. That is really sweet and doesn't require an explanation," Eleanor enthuses. "I'd like to have at least one layer be a coffee or espresso cake I think, yes,just a nod to the business," Eleanor notes. "With Italian meringue buttercream and maybe a chocolate ganache and toffee candy filling." She seems ready to launch into ideas for the other layers when August's exclamation makes her look up from her folder full of options. "Wait, is that the gaming shop?" she asks, her face twisting into an expression of concern.

"A nod to the business," August agrees, his tone suggesting that's totally not what he meant but he's happy to accept an excuse. He pulls the car up alongside the street, staring at the wreckage. "Yeah," he says, presently. "Yeah, I think it was." He shudders, pulls out his phone and brings up Friendzone. Something he sees makes him relax. "Owner wasn't there when it happened." He licks his lips, puts his phone back in the console cubby. "Let's, ah," he looks out at the remains of Control Pad. "Let's get to your shop. There's something we should talk about."

That tone of his, she knows it well. "August Roen, what have you not told me?" Eleanor asks, eyes narrowing. "Thank God she wasn't there when it caught fire, but that looks like a complete loss. If anything like that happened to my shop I'd be devastated."

August's mouth flattens. When she addresses him like that he knows he has to come clean. "I only just found out about this yesterday," he says. Which...isn't totally true. He sighs. "The extent of it." He gives her an apologetic look, pulls back out onto the road. The thought of either of them losing their businesses, it's chilling. Her especially; August could always fall back on his writing.

A few seconds of silent driving as he navigates his way towards downtown. Then, "The owner of Control Pad, Abitha? She texted me yesterday. Said a couple of cops showed up at her place asking weird questions, wanting credit card info." He pulls a face. "One of them had Glimmer."

"Local PD? That requires a warrant, as they definitely aren't the feds. I'm guessing they didn't have one? What does that have to do with this fire? Does any of this have to do with the police chief being murdered!?" Eleanor asks, wide-eyed and turning back into an instant conspiracy theorist. She needs to warn her employees if something like this is coming.

"Yeah, local. And no, no warrant." Which of course means they were asking her to commit a federal felony for them, a classic no-win situation.

August sighs when Eleanor makes the immediate connection to Thatchery. Fortunately, they're not quite to Espresso Yourself. "Not sure if the place burning down is related, but she said they made a...not a threat, but something like one. And, maybe this is about Thatchery. Maybe not." Who's he kidding, August is almost sure it is, but it's just a gut feeling based on his talk with Itzhak. No fact or real information to back it up.

He pulls up to the shop, doesn't immediately get out. "I talked to de la Vega and he said this cop, the one with the Glimmer? Is bad news. Dangerous. Name is Liu. H. Liu. So," he half turns in his seat so he can face Eleanor, "if he comes nosing around the shop, your employees need to be careful." No mention of her needing to be careful; Eleanor can take care of herself.

"I'll have a staff meeting. And I'll make sure the security cameras are backed up offsite. If they come in and make those kinds of demands, should I tell my people to give them what they ask for, and hope we can get the video to the authorities? Or should they say no and risk Espresso Yourself getting torched." Anger. That is what is welling up in Eleanor and showing on her features now. This town is a lot of things, but this is where she draws the line, clearly.

August rubs his forehead. This is, of course, what he's been worried about needing to decide. Play along, so they have some evidence? But if the problem is rooted is the department, and out of de la Vega's control, what will it help? Who do they go to?

Of course...

"There's a third option." He licks his lips, takes one of her hands in his. "This isn't Monaghan's style. Which maybe means someone is muscling in on his territory, or one of his people's gotten too big for their underoos. So...I can tell Joey Kelly what I know. Maybe he can do something useful with it." He raises his eyebrows to see what she thinks. There's an implication there that this comes with a fee: Kelly et al keeping an eye on the local coffee joint.

Eleanor ponders that. "If someone is moving in on Monaghan's territory, this might get a whole lot uglier. Was the Control Pad involved with Felix's things? I'm not sure what Joey can do, if this is an all out war. In the interim, might need to play nice with the dirty cop. See if we can get the information to the Feds if the local PD can't be trusted."

"Scare them off, maybe." August might not know Kelly very well, but he's entirely aware of what he gets up to. It would be hard to own a business in this town and not know that sort of thing. Of course, who wants to make that devil's bargain? Not him, and certainly he doesn't want to ask Eleanor to.

And yet.

He sighs. "Yeah. It's gonna get a lot uglier before it gets better. And, maybe she did, but she also might not have." A small shrug. "The real point is, if this was them, it was to make a point to the rest of us. Play ball, or get run out of town." He ducks his head. He understands her anger, feels a bit of it himself. God, in Abitha's place, would he have let those cops off so easily? He's not sure he would.

"I'll talk to de la Vega. Probably best to have our employees play along, for now. Until they can figure out how to deal with it."

"Agreed," Eleanor says with a frown. "As if our town doesn't have enough problems, now this? They aren't...you don't think because this guy has some Glimmer that he's working for...Them, do you?" she asks, concern creasing her brow.

August rubs the back of Eleanor's hand, running his fingers between her knuckles. That had, in fact, been his first assumption, and he wasn't convinced it wasn't their actual purpose. Stirring the hornet's nest which was Monaghan's operation could just be a convenient bit of amusement on the side. (At the very least, demanding people put themselves at risk like this was Their MO to a t.)

"Could be," he admits. He looks up at her, manages a wry smile. "Getting married out of town was a solid plan, looks like."

"Definitely. When are you going to have your bachelor party?" Eleanor asks, trying to work through this troublesome news with some better stuff. "I don't even know who I am going to ask to be my maid of honor. I was going to ask Hyacinth Addington but she's been so busy."

"Mmm, probably end of this month, or start of next." August shifts in his seat, brushes Eleanor's hair back from her face. "She'd probably love that, in all honesty. Imagine a bridal shower thrown by her." He grins just to think about it, in contrast to his stag party, which is going to involve scantily clad men (and if they're lucky Joey Kelly in a dress). "She likes to have projects to work on. And with Justin not around, could help her focus some."

He leans in, rests his forehead on hers. "I guess we should go on in there so you can get some work done, and I can go over my book proofs." His digital ones; he won't let her see anything until the print proof is in his hands. Then she can read the dedication.

"i'll definitely talk to her then. I've been isolated for so long, I don't have a whole lot of close friends, and even fewer female ones. That is pretty sad. If Hyacinth can't I can maybe ask Isabella?" Eleanor seems to have just realized how far she pushed people away during her life. She gathers up her things.

"Isabella would probably like the chance to throw a party where no one freaked out," August says, nodding. He grips Eleanor's hand one more time, sympathizing with how hard it's been for her to really connect with people. Hell, even he's only just begun doing it again in the last couple of years.

A quick kiss for her forehead, then he gets out of the driver's seat, fetches his workbag from the back. His first appointment isn't for a couple of hours, so he can work on the book and wedding logistics before heading off with Jen to manage some out of control aspen. "So. Think your parents will mind if we have a chuppah and break a glass?"

"I don't think they'll mind," Eleanor says with a smile. "Are you thinking of becoming an un-lapsed Jew?" she asks with a kiss to his cheek. "Faith is never a bad thing to have in Gray Harbor."

August wrinkles his nose, locks up the car once Eleanor has everything she needs. "Mmm. Maybe not so much unlapsed, as..." He pauses, expression distant as he moves to hold open the door into the shop for her. He shrugs, focuses on her again. "Seems like a good idea to reclaim a little of what we lost over the years, you know? Italkim Jewish families weren't that common to begin with. And like you said--can't hurt." He smiles, almost sheepish. "But I'm fine with doing a mixed wedding if you are."

"A mixed wedding is more than fine to me. We're bringing all of what each of us is to the table, to be joined. Past, present, and future, AJ. I love all of you, and want to be part of everything you are," Eleanor says, eyes a little over bright with her own words. "Shit, I should have saved that for the vows." She moves through the open door into the wash of coffee scents.

August grins at Eleanor, more than a little overjoyed to her her say that. It's a relief from the dark cloud which is what happened to the Control Pad looming in the offing. "Okay," he says, voice low, and ducks in to give her a kiss before they head in. "You can use it for the vows. Just have to write it down before you forget." He follows her in, gives the baristas an up-nod before finding a table to set himself up at. Some of the patrons are murmuring about the fire, while others are more focused on the good weather and how to make the most of it.

Eleanor returns the kiss, with a tiny bit of a blush. Face it, he still gives her butterflies in her stomach too. "I'll be sure to write it down, after I talk to the staff about the Control Pad situation." She heads behind the counter and has the day manager man the counter while she takes the rest into the back to talk to them about what to do if H. Liu or any cop comes in and demands credit card information without a warrant. They need to call Eleanor, and tell them only the shop owner can access that information.

August watches attentively while Eleanor heads into the back to have this conversation with her employees. He wants to think it'll be fine, and this Liu character won't set his sights on a coffee shop, of all the things. It's easier for him to think that, because then he doesn't have to consider what he'll do if Liu or his buddy show up.

So, hypervigilence wins for the moment. He gets himself a muffin and cappuccino, pulls up his book e-proofs and the wedding notes he has so far. Every now and then he glances out the window, wary of any car that remotely resembles a cruiser.

Eleanor has questions. Like if Abitha's place was targeted for a reason. But she has no way of getting those answers except to maybe try to speak to the woman herself. Even then, she might not be forthcoming about what the cops wanted with that credit card info, even if she knows. Eleanor comes out after about fifteen minutes and pours herself a coffee, bringing it over to join August. "I told them to tell the cops only I have that kind of access so they need to call me in for it. I don't want them mixed up in anything like that."

August makes a low sound, scratches at his beard. "Good idea." He'll have to tell his own employees to do that. "Also," he flicks a glance towards the baristas, "best if people with the Art interact with these jokers." Because the idea of their mundane personnel being at the mercy of these guys is almost as bad as the thought of them coming after Eleanor. Almost.

He shifts in his seat. "So. Your engagement ring. Got it all picked out?" He means her personal one, the one she chooses for herself. Not, of course, that his grandmother's isn't lovely, but he wants Eleanor to have one of her own.

Ellie blushes again, smiling nervously. "I think I have. It has a little bit in common with your grandmother's. The diamond is raw and unpolished." She brings up the image on her tablet and turns it to show him a pretty ring with a leaves and branches sort of theme.

August leans over, studying the ring with a small, half-smile. "Wow, that's nice." He turns that same look on Eleanor, takes her hand and kisses the current ring gently. "Should look perfect." He turns his tablet and swipes a bit. "Been looking through some ideas for the bands. I'd like some wood in it, but," he nods at the engagement ring, "it oughta look good with yours too. Like any of these?" He brings up a series of images; most of them are the 'men's' style, with the expectation the woman's ring would be thinner and go alongside her engagement ring. There's a bold African blackwood ring with a band gold nuggests, a buckeye burlwood ring with gold set into the grain's inclusions, and a spalted maple and titanium ring with a gold circle.

It's the third one, the titanium with maple and gold, that makes her go ooh. The mix of metals goes well with the mix on the other ring. "That one is perfect, don't you think?" she asks, grinning from ear to ear. "And that maple is just so pretty."

August mirrors the grin, and brings up that one so they can look at it next to her engagement ring. "Yeah, that's a real good match. And," he looks askance at her, "once you've got the gold color picked out, we can get them to match it." He slips an arm around her shoulders and leans his head on hers. Nope, he's not going to think about getting married amidst an uncertain existence with magic and crime and Christ knew what else. "Think your mom would like to make the canopy? She cuold put some cool stuff on it, I bet."

"Mom would love that. She's making my dress too. I've been working on it with her over facetime for a while now," Eleanor admits. "I can't believe this is really happening. I never though, or expected, I'd find someone in this lifetime."

That last bit draws a small frown from August, and he tilts his head, brings his fingers under Eleanor's chin to encourage her to look up at him. "I think you would have, even if it wasn't me. You're smart, you're strong, and you've got a good head on your shoulders." He kisses her nose. "And you're gorgeous, which doesn't hurt. Might've taken you a while to find someone who could...handle the particulars of the Harbor. But I don't think I'm the only person who'd love you." He smiles, slow and warm. "Just lucky enough to get here before anyone else."

Eleanor smiles up at him and her lashes lower. No doubt the day manager and the baristas are all cooing behind the counter. They ship those two so HARD. "You might think that, but I think you're the only one who has ever gotten close to me, and understood me like this. Something about us just...it feels right, deep down, you know? Like I can face anything the world throws at me as long as you're in my life, August."

"Yeah," August murmurs in agreement. He takes Eleanor's left hand, runs his fingers over her palm and the back of her hand. "Same for me." He studies her a time. How long will their luck in this regard hold out? There's no telling. But he's not going to borrow trouble; they have to take their joy where they can find it.

He kisses her forehead, light and sweet, straightens. "Alright. How about I let you do some work, and I can do some of mine."

"Yeah, we have to pay the bills for this wedding somehow," Eleanor says with a laugh. She gives him a light kiss, and murmurs, "Love you," then gathers up her coffee to head back to her office to work on payroll and orders.

August returns the kiss, runs a thumb over her lips. "Love you." He settles in, cutting a conspiratorial glance at the baristas before he focuses on his tablet and the book proofs. He only glances out the window at any passing cars every ten minutes or so.