Participants:
| Scene Title | Silence, Is Golden |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A lesson that Gerald is learning. Not so golden for him maybe, as he runs into the wrong side of Nalani. |
| Date | January 5, 2008 |
Randomly overpriced yuppie coffee place that is not Starbucks.
"I told you. April. I can't fit her in a moment sooner. I need the time to have my people look in on her, the photo shoot needs to be arranged and things to be checked" There's some other person on the other end of the phone attacked to the ear of a tall exotic woman. Most who keep up with the society lists and with the general public know who the woman descending upon the coffee boutique know that it's Nalani Hollingwood. "I want her in that issue Robert. I don't care. I've heard her and everyone else needs to hear her. I have a few others that I need to have Stephanie get ahold of. I want that spring issue to animate New York. With all the shit that's been happening, they need something to focus on that's positive. Gems of the East. Focus on the good. I have an evolved fashion designer, make silk from her fingertips, I kid you not, on command. Divine clothing, I have a singer from the Orchid Lounge, and a few others. You'll make this work. We have the time to devote and you can have HR bring up some people or hire some temps to help out. Better yet, Interns. Start looking now, you'll find plenty workhorses. Door" Stephanie, the blonde assistant who's currying behind her, handsfree device in her ear, is quick to open the door to the coffee place.
"The interns will work for free, they'll get credit, work experience and I'll get fresh minds and first pick for Pause for those that have the talent and toss them back to the wolves, the ones who don't. But that's the April issue" And with that. *snap* goes the phone, closed in the palm of Nalani's hand as she comes to rest in the middle of the yuppie coffee place that is not Starbucks. All clothing perfection, up to the minute fashion, the oversized sunglasses pushed off her nose and slid to rest on top of her glossy mane of black hair as she looks around.
The man that enters the coffee shop is the total opposite of the attractive fashionable woman. He is for all intents and purposes, Joe Sixpack. He wears a very cheap, but also very well taken care of and ironed out suit. He might considerably be handsome to some, but he's no supermodel or anything of the sort.
Gerald heads to the counter, ordering a LARGE coffee and then moves over to take a seat at a table near Nalani. He doesn't notice Nalani right away, not at least until he is seating right next to her, and then the man gives the woman a rather cold glare as she sits there all chatty chatty on her cellphone.
Nalani oblivious to Geralds displeasure, and if she is, she doesn't rightly care. Something of a habit with those of privilege. Their needs and desires trump everyone else's. Even moreso when your Nalani. The blonde assistant, presumably Stephanie comes mincing over with two large coffee's. The first offered to the Editor, who sips it, screws up her nose and waves it away to take the second. "Go get yourself whatever you want Stephanie. Don't bother me unless it's important" The phones flipped open again. A series of numbers dialed. Now Gerald gets her attention, deigning to glance at him and the frosty look. "Can I help you?" while waiting for the call to connect.
"Do I look like a fag to you? I don't play dress up." Is the man's response, a rude one at that. His voice is a bit harsh and deep, he might sound almost sick. He gives her a funny look, turning his attention back to the table, he reaches over to pick up the news paper, taking a sip of his coffee.
After a moment or two, Gerald glances back to the woman, sighing he says,"I apologize, that was rude of me." He then turns his attention back to the news paper, steadily taking a drink of his coffee often.
What the hell. Where did that come from? "No, you look like someone who's being an asshole. What brought that on and do you always go around using derogatory terms? Apology or no, that was just rude and no, you don't seem Heterosexually disinclined. You look more… Burlington Coat Factory inclined." One of Nalani's brows are raised, partly in irritation and in disbelief that someone would even still use the word…. fag..
Gerald does a double take on Nalani. First he looks at her, then he looks away, but instantly he whips his gaze back to her, like what the hell? Gerald laughs, shaking his head,"Funny." The over the hill suited man just laughs heartily for a moment or two, almost mockingly.
"Look lady, I apologized. Now get off my balls would you?" Gerald looks the woman over briefly, he then laughs shaking his head. "Do me a favor lady? Don't ever get married. When I worked on the force I'd come across your type all the time on domestic disturbance calls, and well, let's just say, by the third or fourth trip back to the same house on another routine call — they'd more than likely be dead because they drove the husband up a wall to the point where he went crazy and kills everyone." he laughs.
OKAY that was really mean, but Gerald doesn't care. He's just messing with her anyways. And she is being quite annoying, so that gives him a right to mess with her right? Of course it does! Cause Gerald is an over the hill dinosaur who likes to give young people shit.
"Shut your mouth" It's three words sent with weight behind them. Compulsion and persuasion woven on each syllable and the ones that come after. Nalani's nostrils flare slightly from the audacity of the man 'Shut your mouth, take your coffee and leave this place. Don't come back" There's a disgusted look on her face and her assistant noticing the altercation that's happening and hoping to smooth ruffled feathers is starting to make her way over.
Gerald just falls silent at that point. It's not really sure if her 'persuasion' has influenced him or if he's just caught off guard by the anger of the woman. But after her next choice of words, he immediately takes his coffee and rises to his feet. At this point, he's just giving the woman a snarling look. He can't say anything to her and he's suddenly compelled to leave, this is when it hits Gerald that there is something really wrong with this situation.
Gerald heads for the exit, looking back at the woman rather coldly and intensely, but he follows her command. She only said to leave and never come back, but he's really not going anywhere, instead he heads out to his vehicle. He would curse and such, but he can't obviously. So he goes out to his vehicle, slips into the driver seat and there he sits. He reaches over to pick up a camera and from there he starts to take pictures of the woman and in a notebook he takes down some notes. It's a Polaroid camera, so the pictures are instantly printed out, he takes the Polaroid and places it into his notebook, sliding a clip to hold the picture to the paper and closing it, setting it aside.
Oh, but he's not leaving, oh no, he has every intention of following this woman and keeping tabs on her.
Inside the store, Nalani's having a heated conversation with her assistant before someone from behind a counter comes out to talk as well. It's five minutes when all is said and done. Assistant on the phone, her hand to ear and the hands free there, Nalani on hers with a scowl on her face and marring her brows with the dreaded wrinkles. Whats said can't be heard since there's no yelling, but soon enough a town cown moves up from a few cars behind Gerald, and the pair are coming out. The now perfectly composed woman is exiting after her assistant, and the driver of the town car is waiting to open the door for the woman. She catches Gerald, in his car, staring at him with narrowed eyes before she rolls them and disappears into the tinted glass car. The assistant scurries to sit in the front with the driver who takes his place. Off they go.
Gerald starts his car in anticipation for the woman to leave. He pretends to not be paying attention to them until they pull away, his eyes glued to his side view mirror as he watches the car pull away, he immediately puts his own vehicle into gear, which is a midnight black Cadillac, compliments of the Company of course. He follows the town car from a bit of a distance to not seem suspicious.
It's away from the coffee place they go. Safely ensconced in the warmth of the car, towards another part of the city. Twenty minutes, thanks to NY traffic, something that didn't change even with the bomb. One stop at a bookstore, A place that sells the kind of books that are rare leather bound first editions. Nothing in her hands when she comes out though, the assistant still in tow behind her. A stop Pink Berry's in which the assistant gets out and Nalani doesn't. Too busy on a call to get out in truth, and besides, isn't that what assistants are for? Eventually though, the black town car pulls up to the front of one of the large faceless buildings that permeate the city, all glass and steel. Out she gets once the door is opened, purse in hand, striding for the front door of a well known publishing company and the home of her Magazine.
Of course, with each stop, Gerald takes notes. He's not just watching what this woman does, but he's also keeping a close eye on her assistant too. He's observing everything, and as she heads into the building, he quickly hops out of his vehicle and jogs across the street, looking both ways as he crosses. He quickly enters the building in an attempt not to lose her.
He's going to loose her at some point. It's a given since the lobby, composed of glass marble and steel again has people rushing in and out. That won't loose her, she's a hurricane rushing through some coastal town. People part, get out of her way. It's the way it is, and it's not some evolved gift. What will loose her is the turnstile they have to go through that's right after the security guards checking badges. Of which, the assistant shows two. hers and Nalani's. Not that they need to see Nalani's. But assistants come and go.
Giving them a moment to pass, Gerald waits and then starts to move. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a badge (a fake one!) and flashing it to the guards.. He would say something, but he's having a bit of a problem with speech at the moment. And unfortunately for Gerald, the security rushes to stop him before he gets too far.
Security yells, "Hey wait! Hold it right there sir!"
Gerald snarls, coming to a halt and looking back at them, arching eyebrows intently, tilting his head to the side. He bares his teeth aggressively — but really he's just trying to talk! Damn her. Gerald then points toward Nalani, though as far as the security is concerned, he could be pointing at anyone, it doesn't matter. Then Gerald tries to move again, but as soon as he does, he's tackled!
Oh man. Gerald is fuming now. He can't talk, so it's preventing him from talking his way past the guards…. Grah. So frustrating! Gerald struggles for a moment, but then he finally gives him as he's outnumbered 3 to 1 and he really doesn't want to cause anymore of a disturbance than he probably is already. He just lays there and closes his eyes for a moment.
Unfortunately for Gerald, his gun is noticed and the Security suddenly are all over him like flies! A woman shrills, some people are startled by the event. Poor Gerald, if only he could tell the security something.. but he can't. By that point, the security are taking away his weapon and restraining him. They pull him up to his feet and begin to escort him into a 'back room' where they can do what it is they do, interrogate him, call the 'real cops', etc. Gerald is simply shaking his head in disbelief at this point. He snarls as he's dragged away.
Nalani notices the ruckus, as do others, a glance over her shoulder. Who it is though, she doesn't see. Likely some nosey tabloid bastard, or something else. Who knows these days. So the dark haired women enters into one of the elevators at the bank of them, a button pressed and away from Gerald and his predicament. Poor man. That'll go away… soon.
 January 5th: Partners in Crime... fighting? |
 January 5th: The Thin Blue Line |