J,GoB; Sunday Afternoon

[totalwildcard]

Okay, so Barbie probably wasn't in Barbieland anymore, that much had become clear. She wasn't... exactly sure what to do with that information, but she was choosing to try and make the best of it! And right now? Right now, that meant she'd found a nice little bakery and coffee place in town, and ordered coffee and a cupcake. The person behind the counted seemed a little weirded out by the money she handed over, but accepted it, so Barbie picked up her things to head to one of the tables.

"... Oh, gosh, that was a close one!"

She really wasn't used to carrying things with actual liquid inside! But it was just a matter of just being a little more careful about holding the cup, right? Right. She made it to one of the window tables without another incident of almost spilling coffee on herself.

She had not yet thought about what the experience drinking it would be like, though.

(open! eta: now with 100% less clashing with Summer's post)

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Um, off the island?" Arden checked.

No, he wasn't talking to her, but as she was the one person here who was aware of reality...

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie turned to her quickly. "Yes! Off the island," he said. "There's a causeway thing, but it doesn't seem to connect to anything and I really have to get back."

He offered his hand. "Charlie Young, and I'd appreciate any help you can give me, ma'am."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden didn't know how this all worked, so she didn't make the connection between this Charlie and the regular one. But she did shake his hand while her mind raced to figure out a good, calming lie.

"Arden Finch," she said. "And, err, yes. We're closed off for the weekend, but you'll be back home before work on Monday, I guarantee it."

[wildgalegirl]

"Closed for the weekend," Charlie repeated. "Closed for the weekend. I'm not sure POTUS is going to think that's an adequate excuse."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden had no idea what POTUS was. Maybe the company this guy worked for?

"Well, it's not gonna change facts," she said with a shrug. "You might as well just take the rest of the day off. You can't get home, you're just gonna stress yourself out trying. Make the best of it?"

[wildgalegirl]

"I'm not very good at that, ma'am," Charlie admitted. "And I'm not trying to say I'm indispensable, but the president does count on me to be there."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"But you can't get there," Arden pointed out. "So you can either fret about not being able to do the impossible and wear yourself out, or you can accept the inevitable and spend the day relaxing or something, and return to your president on Monday rested and ready and not frayed to a thread."

[wildgalegirl]

"You may be right," said the man who hadn't even loosened his tie in all this heat. "But I have no idea what I'd even do in this place to 'relax'."

Yeah, you could probably hear the quotation marks.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Well, there's a wholeass beach, which was basically made for relaxing on...a bunch of really excellent restaurants to try out their cuisine...a spa and an onsen, I think. Uh..."

Look, she wasn't involved in the treat yourself class!

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie looked down at his suit then over at Arden. Did he really look like someone who was going to hang out on the beach or have a spa day?

"I suppose I could have some dinner somwhere," he said. A man had to eat, right?

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Well, he also didn't look like the kind of man who relaxed, so maybe he was going all in?

"Do you have a preference for cuisine?" Look! She was being very helpful!

[wildgalegirl]

She was! He got that. It's just, you know... he had responsibilities.

"Probably not Chinese," he said. Food of the all night work sessions. "Don't suppose they have any places that sell down home cooking."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Goddess, I wish," Arden said. "Can't even get brisket in this town. Maybe the diner?"

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie sighed. "Maybe they've got a good meatloaf there. I could use some non-fancy food. Not that there's anything wrong with fancy food. It's just, sometimes you want something simple."