Coffee Corner

Participants:

mohinder_icon.gif nalani_icon.gif

Scene Title Coffee Corner
Synopsis Catching up at the coffee bean, Mohinder thanks Nalani for a Christmas Eve dinner done nice.
Date December 25, 2008

Coffee Place on the East Side


Late Morning at The Coffee Bean. Mohinder, who finds himself alone on Christmas day waits at a table in the corner waiting for someone to come in. He tried to maintain the "man-rule" of waiting at least forty-eight hours before calling Nalani but he caved after a day or so. Of course, he disguised it as a way to thank Nalani for the lovely dinner the night before. How he came to be waiting for her for an impromptu coffee date still has him swimming in the head a little, but he could think of far worse fates than this.

Could you really Mohinder? Private Nalani is different from Public Nalani. Public Nalani is decked out as expected, up to the minute fashion. Oversized red bag, trench coat with a fur collar, black this time. Slouchy flat soled boots replete with buckles. Oversized sunglasses, the whole nine yards. All this can be seen through the window as she pulls up and gets out of a silver escalade. The sunglasses are pushed up to sit on the top of her head, talking on a cellphone as she makes her way to the coffee shop. What law against driving and talking on your cellphone? Doesn't apply to Nalani it seems.

To say that Mohinder does a double take as Nalani enters is an understatement. She was a goddess in just jeans and a T-shirt at dinner, and she seems to be an even glossier version of that now. "Heavens help me." he says to himself, suddenly self conscious of his button up shirt and khakis. "I look like an utter bum." he says to no one in particular. He's waited until her arrival to order, contenting himself with a water until she arrived. This he takes a deep drink of.

Through the door she comes, some people knowing who she is, some people not. Her gloved hand on the door for a moment as she steps through. "Mother, no, I'll be visiting later this month. You know I have the charity function new years eve" A pause as she scans the people assembled and lifts her forefinger to Mohinder in a 'one moment' motion and heads for the counter. "No, Rami will likely not. Work as always. I'm hanging up now, i'm glad you got our presents. Merry Christmas as well Mother. Give father my regards." Pause. "Enjoy" Click goes the phone and Nalani's ordering her super trumped up confection from the counter.

Mohinder can't help but sit back and watch as Nalani enters the coffee shop like a force of nature. A hurricane of personality and speech and motion, and all the poor scientist can do is sip his water and nod when she gives him the 'one moment' finger. He looks around, her motioning to him having drawn to him some small amount of attention, and it makes him blush slightly and become more self conscious. He waits, patiently as ever, as she orders.

That force of nature is currently making her way to his table, one of the barista's following behind her with her drink, and pulling out her seat for her as the exotic woman eases herself down into it. 'Dr. Suresh. I can certainly say that, this, was a surprise. Thank you Patrick, you may leave now" The drink deposited, the little barista scuddles away, his momentary orbit around the woman done and gravity suck shim back to whence he came. Albeit much to the ribbing of his colleagues.

Mohinder smiles, "Well if we're standing on ceremony, /miss/ Hollingwood, then I agree. I wasn't quite expecting this either, though I'm hardly going to say that I'm disappointed."

"No one is ever disappointed. Surprised, yes, disappointed, no. I'm in public, I have to stand on Ceremony. Can't let them know that what you saw last evening exists. The very fabric of the world would split in two. Did you want anything? Besides your water. I can call Patrick over and have him take your order" Cause you know, Patrick is jsut dying to server her.

Mohinder opens his eyes a little wider than normal as if in surprised, and ahhhhs. "I see now…" he says, "The great Nalani Hollingwood, prima fashionist, eating curry with her bare hands in naught but jeans and a colored T-shirt." he rubs his hands together, "I now know that I am in the possession of dangerous knowledge." he sips his water, obviously teasing. He shakes his head at the offer of having the flunky come take an order. "I'm quite fine Miss Hollingwood. But thank you."

'There's a reason i don't live on the bottom floors Dr. Suresh. Besides, Rami's curry would be devalued, and cannot be properly appreciated, if you used utensil's. Just don't tell that to page six, or they'll send undercover maids to see if it's true, that I even own a pair of jeans" Drink turned down, Nalani sets about to uncapping her cappuccino and scenting it delicately before sipping. "And see, more dangerous information, I can exist without my horde of assistants"

Mohinder chuckles, "Understood. And I would never turn you over to page six, seven, or eight. However, I did want to thank you again for last night. It made me realize alot of things." his tone warming at the end. "I have Rami to thank for being the catalyst for it, However, you were the ignition."

'And to what end, have I awakened something in you? Do tell. I don't think i've ever been the catalyst for anything before. Truly been the catalyst" Nalani eases one leg over the other so she can lean back and tend to her drink, regarding Mohinder with interest.

Mohinder ponders this quietly a moment, finger tracing the trim of his glass. "For years, literally years..I have pursued nothing but raw empirical data. The scientific method of finding the truth. I was blind to everything else. Living life..understanding that there's more to it than the pursuit of the truth. You've made me realize that there's more to life than science…and that I've been missing all of it."

"Has, chasing this empirical truth though, left you happy?" Nalani counters. "Do you consider those years a waste?"

Mohinder shakes his head, "Not at all a waste, and chasing the truth has always made me happy..however, being reminded that there's more to life than that makes me appreciate it that much more. Makes me reminded as to why I'm doing it. I'm happy..but I'm not complete, if that makes sense?"

'Perhaps it does. I think it might. I didn't find happiness until I emerged from doing runways and founded Pause. But that doesn't mean that I can't stop and enjoy my free time, whenever I can grab it, and do things, like, eat curry with my fingers in jeans and a t-shirt" Nalani smiles. "Make no mistake, that I abandon my brother as much as he has to abandon me"

Mohinder smiles, "Which makes the time you do share together all that much more precious."

'When I'm not berating him for not being able to tell me where he had to go off to. But I've learned through the years, not to truly get upset with him" Nalani leans forward, placing her hand palm down on the table. "So, Dr. Suresh. What is the truth?"

Mohinder sips his water, and looks at you. He takes you in entirely with his eyes, but it's not a lustful gaze. It's a look of admiration, and yes there is the obvious attraction but not entirely physical. "Would you believe me if I told you that the truth is all things are possible?" his eyes are wide, full of wonder and excitement as he says this.

Nalani taps her forefinger, just once, on the tabletop."It's a sad world when no ones believes that. That two orphaned children can become, respectively, the leader of a very prosperous and prodigious magazine, and the other, to whatever position it is that my brother holds which must be high since he can't speak a stitch of what he does to me. Or when a single person can do any manner of things relegated normally to a comic book, or a handful of people can gather and rally to help erect a house for a deserving family" Nalani grins mischievously. "I'm not a sad person. I believe that"

Mohinder smiles and cants his head gently, "As do I." he lets the comic book comment slide, though he'd respond to it if he knew..but he doesn't. He sips his water. "You're..very different." he says, looking down and blushing a little.

'And your not at all what I thought my brother would choose for me" Nalani counters as she gathers up her lid for the cappucino now that it's cooled enough. About the same time, her cellphone rings and she draws the technology from her pocket with a scowl.

Mohinder blinks, "Choose for you?" he asks, a little surprised. "What do you mean?" he quiets down out of courtesy when she answers her phone.

"Blind Date Dr. Suresh. He brought you to dinner because he truly thought you'd enjoy it, but he brought you as well to … see if I'd be amenable to something more than barefoot eating curry, Anastasia what is it? It's Christmas day, I don't have the patience or the time for this babble you sent me earlier about the shoots come coming out properly. There's no time to re-shoot it" Mohinder just like that, ignored for a moment while there's barely heard talking coming from the phone. 'I Don't care. They know what I like and I expect it to be as I like it or they can find another magazine. There's one day left for that shoot, they can get it right, or they can forget about it, now don't call unless the model's lost her head or dead in a ditch somewhere. If they're not, tell them to call Stephanie, that is why I have Stephanie" Click goes the phone as she slides it shut, an apologetic smile to Mohinder.

Mohinder smiles, back. "Hmmm..I see. It's all clear now. Your brother is playing cupid, then." he says, not asking. "Well..are you amenable?" he asks, a flash of boldness from the doctor.

'I wouldn't be here taking coffee with you Dr. Suresh if some part of me wasn't." She gathers her purse and her cappucino. 'Call me Dr. Suresh. When your not busy searching for the truth in petrie dishes and i'm not busy trying to bring the worlds ill's to some manner of comfort through my glossy pages. Patrick" nalani works to get the Barista's attention when hes' evidently in between making drinks. "Get the door for me" Not a question. She expects him to get it for her. Purse on shoulder, Nalani offers her hand to Mohinder, back of her palm up. "A pleasure again Dr. Suresh"

Mohinder takes the hand and gives her a very courtly, genteel kiss on along the tops of the knuckles. "You can expect a call, Miss Hollingwood. I assure you." is all he says. However, his twinkling eyes are a dead giveaway of being made a very happy man indeed.

A flash of white teeth and the hand placed delicately in mohinders is retracted. With a flick of her head which sends her glossy mane flipping over her shoulder and sliding across fur, Nalani strides across the floor to the waiting open door and the beaming Barista holding it for her. Not a thank you fro the guy, just heads out to the Escalade. Patrick ust watches after her before he heads back to carry on with a customers drink who is irritated for having to wait.

Mohinder is content to just watch her leave. Sitting back in his seat as she heads out, and back into the Escalade as quickly as she came. "Well doctor." he says, "What have you gotten yourself into?" he asks himself, a goofy smile spreading on his face.


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December 25th: Mysterious Ways
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December 25th: Hospital Christmas
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