But now you're hard not to notice, right here in my town

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

WHO: Joey and Mary
WHERE: Mary and Kitty's Apartment
WHEN: Friday Afternoon, June 4th
WARNINGS: derp and awkwardness
SUMMARY: Joey tries to convince Mary that he's not a creepy deviant.
FORMAT: Paratastic!



Joey shifted the bundle of flowers and the envelope in his hands, still eyeing up the daffodils and hyacinth as i uncertain about them. Maybe adding the flowers was laying it on too thick? But the letter alone seemed so plain and maybe she would just ignore it by itself?

He'd been standing outside the door to Mary and Kitty's apartment for ten minutes now mulling this over, after spending an hour on the note and another hour grumbling to himself in the flower shop, all of which was nothing compared to the mortified face-down-in-pillow brooding time he'd taken to himself for most of Thursday night and all of Friday morning.

Since the 'incident' at the club on Thursday he'd been up to his neck in embarassment and awkward explainations. First to Raven, then to Donna and Kory and then oh GOD there had been Mary and their completely awkward exchange; him on stage half-covered in green paint and her rather tipsy and clearly completely gobsmacked at seeing him there.

Her confusion and instinctive distaste had been all over her face and all he could think of was that he had torn all his clothes off and dropped himself in front of this sweet and proper lady like a complete idiot. He couldn't imagine what she must think of him now, how her understanding of the job he'd taken on had probably completely recoloured her idea of him and of their time together...

Joey had NEEDED to write something to try to explain himself. Handing it to her though, that was another matter entirely. He wasn't sure he could FACE her right now without wanting to be swallowed up by the earth. Raven and Donna and Kory he had long friendships with. They had been - were - his teammates and he had a solid repoir with them. They knew him well enough to shrug off the job as just a job.

Mary was still new to him, Mary didn't know him well enough to just brush this discovery off. And his gut twisted up at the thought of their friendship slipping through his grasp over this kind of misunderstanding.

Maybe if he just...


Setting the flowers and the envelope with the letter down on the welcome mat he rang the buzzer outside the apartment, then dashed off down the hall, hiding around the corner by the bank of elevators. He wouldn't leave totally, he wanted to make sure she actually GOT the letter and not Kitty or something, but peeking around the corner was about all he could handle.

Comments

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

Mary had been playing with the two resident animals of the apartment when she heard the doorbell. Kitty was in her room listening to music, so Mary went to answer, but only got an empty hallway.

"Hello?" She looked up and down the corridor but saw nothing. As she moved to shut the door, a spot of color caught her eye, and she picked up the flowers and note addressed to her. Well, gosh. Did she have a secret admirer?! She'd never had one of those before! Eagerly, she tore into the letter and started to read.

Oh. Not an admirer, then.

Her face turned bright red.

a letter to Mary...

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

Dear Mary,

You probably don't really want to hear from me right now but I had to at least try to contact you and explain myself about what happened at the club on Thursday night. I didn't realize that Raven's party was going to be there, and I especially didn't know that you were going to be there, and I can't tell you how sorry I am about that awkward meeting we had at the stage.

I haven't been working at the hero club for very long and it wasn't a job that I chose easily. I've never done this sort of work before being here in the city. When I answered the ad looking for dancers I was thinking community play not adult club, but I had been freeloading in Raven's house since my arrival by then. I was restless and useless and I just couldn't justify not taking a job and being able to pull my own weight just because it wasn't the first thing I would have chosen.

I know at the outset it probably seems repulsive working in a place so geared around selling sex, but my bosses and coworkers are honestly very nice people. They're regular men and women with families and homes and they all have their own reasons for being there. Some of them love the work, and some of them are just there as a stop gap like me, but they all have something in the job that they enjoy.

For me, it's a job where I get to be a performer. I get to show people a good time and dance and do something a little silly for other people's enjoyment. The ladies and men that come in and see me on stage are usually really nice people who just want to have a bit of fun themselves.

I'm trying to explain this becuase I feel like I've given you some reason now to doubt the sort of person I put myself forward as being when we met. I don't want you to misunderstand my involvment in my job and think that I'm some kind of creepy sex crazed person who craves an audience. There is a firm line for me between what is performance and what is exhibitionism and I'm very much on the performance side of that line.

I just don't want to leave things awkward between us at now of all times.

Raven's wedding is tomorrow, I'll be around you all day, and I want to do my best to clear the air so that we can both have a good time and not be uncomfortable around each other the whole day.

But above and beyond that you're a very sweet person who I had hoped to have a good friendship with and I feel like I've thrown a wrench in things with meeting you upexpectedly at work. How I behave on stage is not the way I would ever normally behave around you and I'm saddned by the idea that I might have offended or upset you into not wanting to talk to me anymore.

For what it's worth, for anything I did to make you uncomfortable the other night, I'm very sorry. I really hope that this letter might clarify things enough for you to be able to forgive me.

Yours,

Joseph.

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

She read the letter three times over before breaking into a silly smile. Oh, gosh, he really was such a sweetheart, wasn't he? He obviously felt as awkward as she had about the whole affair, although Mary was blessed with a slightly hazy recollection of the events.

It had been hugely embarrassing, for the both of them, but... well... this kind of helped make it better. If he had just left this for her, he couldn't be far! She pulled out her phone and dialed his number, taking care not to wrinkle the letter.

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

Joey had just breathed a sigh of silent relief, glad to see that she'd gotten the letter and ready to creepy quietly off to the elevators when his phone went off in his pocket.

He was just around the corner from her door so there was absoloutely now disguising the strains of 'It's a Jolly Holiday with Mary' from his pocket.

....Shit. There went sneakiness right down the drain.

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

... Well, gosh, that was a little too convenient for Mary to chalk up to pure coincidence. She unsuccessfully fought a smile and rounded the corner to see him standing there.

"Hello," she said shyly, flowers and note still in hand.

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

Hi

He gave her the most sheepish of smiles and a little wave, turning off the ringing and typing up quickly on his text program.

Just wanted to make sure you got the letter.

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

"I did," she said softly. "You didn't need to, you know. But... thank you. And for the flowers, too."

Well, gosh, this wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Even if her face was pretty red, she was certain.

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

I wanted to. I felt bad.

He reached over and touched one of the flowers sheepishly, tucking his phone back in his pocket and keeping both his hands there for a moment before finally freeing them up to spell out We ok?

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Joey. He was just as confused by all of this as she was. It was odd, most new friendships she had never had this stage of awkwardness. She beamed at him. "Why wouldn't we be?"

And it was true. What had happened was horribly awkward, and certainly not something Mary would ever, ever do, or really agree with, even if she did understand. And ultimately, it was Joey. She liked him for who he was, and so what he did didn't really impact that.

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He smiled, the huge relieved smile of a man with the weight of the world off his shoulders. God it was stupid how much better that made him feel to hear her say things were okay.

Reaching over he took her hand and pulled it up to kiss the back of her fingers.

You busy?

He imagined she had a few things to do with the wedding looming so close but maybe if she had time for lunch?

New thread!

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

She must be tomato red, honestly, but that silly grin wouldn't leave her face. He really was good at making her feel fluttery.

"Oh! Yes, can we? If I learn fast enough, you won't have to bring a pad and paper everywhere!"

Woot new thread!

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He nodded, pulling her hand a little closer toward him and gently reshaping her fingers, he pointed to their drinks, then showed her with signs for coffee, then sandwhich and so on through a few of the different objects on the table and in the room.

I would like coffee, this sandwhich is delicious, and other phrases followed up easily.

:D

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

She privately wondered if half the reason he wanted to teach her some more signs was just so he could have the excuse to run his hands over hers some more, but she couldn't really say she minded. She was clumsy at first, not used to the way her hands were shaping, but she didn't seem to mind. If she could learn to play the piano, she could learn to do this.

"How do you say something like, 'I'm happy I'm here?'"

ajdlsakjfd awwww mary <3

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He swallows a bit thickly before walking her through the signs. They're simple and flow nicely into one another. 'Happy' starts with hands above the chest, palms in thumbs out, a sweeping in and upward motion like the bubbling up of a good feelings, then it shifts - the same hands in the same place - but palms facing upward and pulling in in a short gathering motion for here. All with a warm smile for cohesion.

Even if she's only asking out of curiosity the implication that she's happy to be there with him lingers enough to make him feel warm.

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

Smiling slightly, she mimics the signs fairly well. I'm happy I'm here. Thank you, Joey. "Did I do it right?"

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He nods, finger spelling 'perfect' and reaching across to hold her hand again.

Me too. Thank you for coming.

He lets a silence fall between then for a few seconds then, looking between her and the nice warm day outside.

Like to go for a walk?

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

Mary turned her hand so their fingers interlaced, the way they were earlier. There was just something nice about the way it felt. "Sure! You about done?"

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

Joey finished off the last sip of his coffee, then nodded, squeezing her fingers a bit and tucking his phone and the note-pad and pencil into his pocket.

It was too nice a day to spend it entirely inside...

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

It was too nice to spend inside. She followed him out of the cafe with a smile on her face. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?" she asked, swinging their linked hands a bit. "I mean, I know we can't dawdle too much longer, but it's such a nice afternoon, and I don't quite want to go back yet."

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

Joey smiled, squeezing her fingertips and looking around as they made their way at a lingering pace along the sidewalk. Honestly he had plenty to be doing, finish up Raven and Rimmer's portrait among them, but...

He pointed to a pet store where a gaggle of soft yellow-white retriever puppies were yapping happily in the window display and pawing the glass.

/ducks back over here for number 3!

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

With practiced ease, Mary slipped an arm around his waist and leapt into the air. "Let me know if you're uncomfortable!" she said as the started to soar. Now, where exactly was the church in relation to them...? Height was good for this, so up she flew to get her bearings. Ahaaaah... that way!

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He knew she had a solid hold on him, he really did, but that didn't stop him from grappling his arms around her shoulders fully for a bit of extra security as they shot up over the city. Next time eye contact. Definetely.

It wasn't a terribly long flight thankfully, her speed was something marvelous for certain, and after only a few minutes in the air they touched down on the front steps of the church, arms still around each other.

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

She couldn't help but laugh a bit as he scrabbled for purchase on her arms. "Don't worry, silly, I won't let you fall!"

If she had really tried, they probably could have made it to the church in a nanosecond, but using the full extent of her speed wasn't something she liked doing with passengers. It tended to freak them out (and she still felt bad about doing that with no warning to Zelgadis, poor dear). But they made good time and she landed. Odd, she didn't quite want to let go of their hug yet.

... She really should.

[make-contact.livejournal.com]

He really ought to let her go. Really. But his joints were a little mushy just yet. Finally he strokes a few strands of hair out of her face and makes himself step back, singing thank you before opening up the door for her. It wasn't like they were going far after all...

We done?

[littleprovolone.livejournal.com]

She has that silly smile on her face. She knows she does. That's okay. Even though there's a lot wrong with the world right now... there are still happy things, too. Like Raven's wedding. Like spending a fantastic day with a friend (who was not quite a friend the way the rest of her friends were). So smiling, she enters the church.