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TITLE: The Barista - Chapter 10 - Uncertainties
SUMMARY: It's the oldest story in the book: he wants what he cannot have.
CATEGORY: AU, Romance, Drama
RATING: PG-13
NOTES: So, I've just started on another AU, although I'm trying to get Shermer done. I think I've worked around the problem we had before. And there's V-Day stuff to post, and spoilers to discuss - so many possibilities and happenings! I can't keep up!
The Barista: Uncertainty
The man working the coffee machine late Monday afternoon definitely wasn't Teyla. There was no sign of Sharon or Ronon either, and John wasn't game to ask where Teyla was.
John left the shop without bothering to order his usual cappucino and considered calling her again. Pride intervened, and he cancelled the number without dialling.
The proposal had been laid out before the directors of the Pegasus companies that morning - among them, Sharon Athos, whose gaze had been steady and polite as John, Elizabeth, and Rodney presented the plans they'd been making in her coffee shop all week.
Thankfully, Kolya had not been one of the directors present, although Cowan Genii had watched them with the steady, if suspicious, gaze of a shrewd businessman. And although nearly a dozen companies were represented at the meeting, Athos and Genii were the major players when it came to ownership of the Atlantis Grand.
"You understand that we'll have to consider your proposal," Sharon Athos had said at the end of the offer. "Our individual boards need to be notified and consult on this matter."
They'd receive a basic response by Friday, or so they'd been told.
In the meantime, there was little to do but wait.
Now that the taskgroup's work was done, John was back in the office, looking over the accounts and maintenance of Stargate Central and trying not to think about Teyla Emmagen.
John left her alone on Tuesday, but called her on Wednesday morning, first from his cellphone, then from the phone in his office on the off-chance that she was specifically avoiding him. Both times, the number rang out with no response, which was both reassuring and depressing.
He swung idly in his chair as he stared at the display on the wall and wondered why he was doing this to himself.
If all John wanted was cheap thrills, he could get them on the city's social circuit with nothing more than a smile. And if the thrill had millions of dollars attached to her family name, then that didn't make her any less cheap to John's thinking.
Teyla wasn't either cheap or a thrill.
But if he was honest with himself, there was no way a girl working as a barista could be more than a temporary interest to a guy who came from old money and who worked for one of the most prestigious companies in the city. He should have left it at just interest - an attraction that didn't go any further than flirting over the counter of the Athos Bean. It wasn't as though he lacked for dates socially.
Then again, the dates John acquired were usually with a different kind of girl - shallow, self-involved women who drove fancy cars and wore high heels everywhere, wouldn't go out without their make-up on, jingled with jewelry, and flashed plastic like it was going out of style.
Teyla worked as a barista in a coffee shop, loved tea and music of all kinds, could speak fluent Japanese, sing like a siren, and dance like a demon.
And she didn't want to date him.
As he doodled on the pad of paper beside him, John wondered if his refusal to take 'no' for an answer was just pique. He liked a challenge, sure, but it wasn't always just for the sake of the challenge. He'd still been interested in Teyla when she seemed perfectly happy to go out with him.
The circles he drew went around and around - like his thoughts. What had changed? Something had.
John's pen added scalloped curves around the circles. He stared at the basic drawing of flowers and contemplated calling up a florist and sending her something.
Elizabeth and Rodney arrived just as he was reaching for the phone.
"Polite people knock," he told them as they sat down in his office chairs.
"Who needs to be polite at a time like this?" Rodney asked as he leaned back. "We're in!"
John jerked up, shocked by the revelation. "What? Already?"
"Not quite." Elizabeth shot Rodney an exasperated look before she explained. "The branches of the Pegasus group involved in the Atlantis Grand hotel are curious to hear more."
"Specifically, they want to meet us, face to face."
"Us?"
Elizabeth qualified. "The three of us."
"So we're invited to dinner. The Atlantis Grand Hotel this Friday night. You can even bring your barista."
"Rodney." Rodney sat back and sulked as Elizabeth explained. "The invitation allows for a guest to come with us. Which seems more social than business."
"Get our measure as people?" John wondered.
"It matches the way they usually work."
He nodded. "Okay. I'm there."
Dark brows arched. "With or without a date?"
John stared back levelly. "I'll let you know."
- tbc -
(nearly there!)
Part 11: Serious
SUMMARY: It's the oldest story in the book: he wants what he cannot have.
CATEGORY: AU, Romance, Drama
RATING: PG-13
NOTES: So, I've just started on another AU, although I'm trying to get Shermer done. I think I've worked around the problem we had before. And there's V-Day stuff to post, and spoilers to discuss - so many possibilities and happenings! I can't keep up!
The Barista: Uncertainty
The man working the coffee machine late Monday afternoon definitely wasn't Teyla. There was no sign of Sharon or Ronon either, and John wasn't game to ask where Teyla was.
John left the shop without bothering to order his usual cappucino and considered calling her again. Pride intervened, and he cancelled the number without dialling.
The proposal had been laid out before the directors of the Pegasus companies that morning - among them, Sharon Athos, whose gaze had been steady and polite as John, Elizabeth, and Rodney presented the plans they'd been making in her coffee shop all week.
Thankfully, Kolya had not been one of the directors present, although Cowan Genii had watched them with the steady, if suspicious, gaze of a shrewd businessman. And although nearly a dozen companies were represented at the meeting, Athos and Genii were the major players when it came to ownership of the Atlantis Grand.
"You understand that we'll have to consider your proposal," Sharon Athos had said at the end of the offer. "Our individual boards need to be notified and consult on this matter."
They'd receive a basic response by Friday, or so they'd been told.
In the meantime, there was little to do but wait.
Now that the taskgroup's work was done, John was back in the office, looking over the accounts and maintenance of Stargate Central and trying not to think about Teyla Emmagen.
John left her alone on Tuesday, but called her on Wednesday morning, first from his cellphone, then from the phone in his office on the off-chance that she was specifically avoiding him. Both times, the number rang out with no response, which was both reassuring and depressing.
He swung idly in his chair as he stared at the display on the wall and wondered why he was doing this to himself.
If all John wanted was cheap thrills, he could get them on the city's social circuit with nothing more than a smile. And if the thrill had millions of dollars attached to her family name, then that didn't make her any less cheap to John's thinking.
Teyla wasn't either cheap or a thrill.
But if he was honest with himself, there was no way a girl working as a barista could be more than a temporary interest to a guy who came from old money and who worked for one of the most prestigious companies in the city. He should have left it at just interest - an attraction that didn't go any further than flirting over the counter of the Athos Bean. It wasn't as though he lacked for dates socially.
Then again, the dates John acquired were usually with a different kind of girl - shallow, self-involved women who drove fancy cars and wore high heels everywhere, wouldn't go out without their make-up on, jingled with jewelry, and flashed plastic like it was going out of style.
Teyla worked as a barista in a coffee shop, loved tea and music of all kinds, could speak fluent Japanese, sing like a siren, and dance like a demon.
And she didn't want to date him.
As he doodled on the pad of paper beside him, John wondered if his refusal to take 'no' for an answer was just pique. He liked a challenge, sure, but it wasn't always just for the sake of the challenge. He'd still been interested in Teyla when she seemed perfectly happy to go out with him.
The circles he drew went around and around - like his thoughts. What had changed? Something had.
John's pen added scalloped curves around the circles. He stared at the basic drawing of flowers and contemplated calling up a florist and sending her something.
Elizabeth and Rodney arrived just as he was reaching for the phone.
"Polite people knock," he told them as they sat down in his office chairs.
"Who needs to be polite at a time like this?" Rodney asked as he leaned back. "We're in!"
John jerked up, shocked by the revelation. "What? Already?"
"Not quite." Elizabeth shot Rodney an exasperated look before she explained. "The branches of the Pegasus group involved in the Atlantis Grand hotel are curious to hear more."
"Specifically, they want to meet us, face to face."
"Us?"
Elizabeth qualified. "The three of us."
"So we're invited to dinner. The Atlantis Grand Hotel this Friday night. You can even bring your barista."
"Rodney." Rodney sat back and sulked as Elizabeth explained. "The invitation allows for a guest to come with us. Which seems more social than business."
"Get our measure as people?" John wondered.
"It matches the way they usually work."
He nodded. "Okay. I'm there."
Dark brows arched. "With or without a date?"
John stared back levelly. "I'll let you know."
- tbc -
(nearly there!)
Part 11: Serious
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I still enjoy this quite a bit.
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wella
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*waits for next chapter*
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(late response)
Thanks for encouraging me along the way, though. :)