Participants:
| Scene Title | What You Have To Tell Yourself |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Joseph stops by the Cambria Salon and Day Spa not for a haircut. |
| Date | October 3, 2009 |
Tranquil and Fabulous wrapped up in warm and inviting colors and the sleek lines of Japanese architecture…Cambria Salon and Day Spa is a fashionable paradise. Dark almost black wood paneling has been used through out the hotel, fresh flowers are found in glass vases and exchanged with flower shaped candles every day at 4 PM. There is a different theme for just about every day of the week, but nothing set in stone. There are 8 or so individual work stations with leaf shaped mirrors and comfortable chairs. There are a couple of private rooms for waxing, facials and massages and the like including a private station and office for the owner. The reception area is designed for comfort with the black seats and couches, glass coffee tables and glass/wood reception desk. Over all the salon is edgy and sleek, it is Cambria Salon and Day Spa.
Morningish at the salon and Raquelle is indeed back at work actually…but he's rebalancing the books at the front desk, checking people in for their facials and things like that. His hair has been freshly dyed, glossy and black and freshly emo fringed as well, piercings in, eyeliner in place…the typical and he frowns at something, erasing it out of the book and re-writing something else as he sits comfortably behind that front desk…no blonde ditzy biatch today.
With a long history of not calling ahead, Joseph didn't start today either. It's overcast and warm, a pressure cooker of humidity that means Joseph's jacket is light and his stroll to the Salon somewhat lazy and meandering, but it's well before noon that he arrives at the door, shouldering his way inside with a little bit of trepidation. This is the kind of place he'd pick his wife up from, not independently wandering in, even if it is to visit someone in particular.
Anxious, yes, but not unhealthy. No scars, no bruises - in fact, all things considered, it's probably the better he's looked lately. As his dark eyes easily find Raquelle at the desk, he affords the younger man an automatic, bright smile, headed on over.
Raquelle's baby blues linger on the book he's balancing so he can offer distractedly as the door opens, "Welcome to Cambri-" He trails off as his eyes lift from the book to fall on Joseph and he just stares, lips parted a bit and eyebrows raising a fraction. There is a long pause…thankfully, this is a face to face meeting and not a phonecall during something embarrassing, kthnx.
"…oh my sweet maria monroe…" Kelly just blinks several times as he clears his throat and toys with his pencil, moving out from behind the desk towards the man with a slow shaking of his head. "Why don't you look un…uglified…"
Joseph's eyebrows go up at that comment, smile going a little crooked if still genuine. "Gee, thanks. I think," he says, easily moving forward the few steps needed to draw Raquelle into a hug, brief and sincere with his hand still clutching the younger man's arm upon drawing away. "I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner— I had to kind of… take care of some things before I did, I guess."
Raquelle chuckles and returns the hug, carefully patting Joseph's back before pulling back and offering a small smile. "Well if I said what I was really thinking you'd have to look at me in a disappointed way and my heart would melt, oh god so happy to see you…you know that right?" He gestures towards seats. "Want something to drink? Oh goodness, don't be sorry hon…don't be sorry at all. I know you've been…uh, busy." A tiny shudder.
"For a hairdresser, you're pretty bad at the complimentin' thing." Sitting down as gestured, Joseph shakes his head at the offer of a drink, adjusting his denim jacket a little around himself before relaxing back. "I won't keep you long, but I figured I'd check in at least. Just siddown and talk some and I'll be on my way. Looks like the salon's doin' well."
Raquelle nods a bit and swallows. "You caught me on a bad day honey bunches of a holy…I'm just happy to see you alive." He offers softly before looking around curiously before looking back to Joseph. "Yeah, i-it's okay okay I guess. Working on fleshing out my good staff though here…lots of people come in for their nails though…you come in for a cut?"
As much as he could use one, hair not combed to the precision that usually accompanies the sharp suits he wore for the church, Joseph shakes his head. "No, not exactly. I came to— I wanted to apologise." The easy smile is more or less evaporated, gaze dipping down to the floor, then back up towards Raquelle, attempting to meet the young father's gaze. "About what happened to Billy Jean, what she was put through. If you hadn't known me, I don't doubt that would never have happened."
Raquelle is very very very quiet, looking away for a moment before looking back to Joseph and taking a deep breath. "I can't do that." He finally admits with a wry twist of his lips. "I can't…do that, the say it is okay or really go there in my head that it could've been because of you. You got utters effed up too preacher man, or so I hear…but there will always be people who hate and people who show that hate by hurting folks and don't you ever take the weight of that on your shoulders, okay?" He shakes his head. "Far more happened than just one of my babies getting taken…I had to go through both of them, and it wasn't all because of you…you hearin' me?"
"I know," Joseph says, at a murmur, now not quiiite looking at Raquelle. "I know that I didn't do anythin' to put her in danger, not really. It's not my fault, what they did, and who they are. But it was my church that burned down. My phone they picked your number out've. You don't have to tell me it's okay, because it ain't, or that it's not my fault. I'm still really sorry, Raquelle."
His voice is low, appropriately so for the conversation, beneath the subtle sound of activity of the business beyond them. He keeps his hands to himself and finally makes fleeting eye contact, and twists his mouth into an apologetic smile. "This is probably selfish of me, all things considered. I had to. How is she, anyway? How's she doin'? Her and Diana."
Raquelle takes a deep breath and gives a tiny nod. "If you…if that's what you have to tell yourself." He swallows. "Very well, ain't like I can tell you what to think." He licks his lips and checks the glossy black polish of his nails for want of something to focus on. "Not selfish though, you're like family man…like an uncle or something, Diana was worried aboutcha as was BJ…" He grimaces. "Diana doesn't speak anymore but she draws pictures and BJ has a very very horrible vocab now, I have no idea where she learned those words…" He sighs. "But they miss you and will be happy to know you are okay…very happy."
The notion of family makes him smile somewhat ruefully and bashfully, even if his eye sight is directed somewhere at Raquelle's shins, though it lifts, finally, at the end of the younger man spiel. "I miss 'em too," Joseph says. "I'll come around soon, if that's okay, or I can take 'em off your hands for a while or something. Give me somethin' to do, now that I don't got the church to worry about anymore."
Raquelle laughs softly. "Are you sure? I wouldn't mind handing them off again…for a bit, give me and Bo-" He cuts himself off. "These days though, I enjoy as much time with them as I can get. Also…when you're ready, we'll get you another church, so enjoy the um, break for now." He pats Joseph's shoulder gently. "I'll get a time though for you to come by and hang out with the girls….they'll love it."
"We can take 'em down to the park or somethin' sometime. I'm currently staying with Abigail and a friend o' her's, so it ain't like the dog doesn't get enough attention. But I'm pretty sure your daughter saved her life, and vice versa, so there you go." And there is no comment about talk of another church, or really much of a reaction, neither blink nor smile. Joseph puts his hand on Raquelle's, squeezes once, before moving to stand. "I should let you get back to work— sorry if this wasn't the best day to come by. Everything's— I mean. Relatively speaking, everything's okay, right?"
Raquelle watches Joseph carefully and mmhms softly. "I'm also scared that BJ taught her how to bark In Da Club or Hot in Here, so keep your fingers crossed that she hasn't found a groove." He chuckles softly and sighs, getting to his feet and giving a tiny nod. "Actually the next two weeks, I'll be pretty much in and out and free, you're lucky you came by and caught me. And relatively speaking, everything's okay. I'm not even pregnant." He coughs. "Give Abby baby a kiss and hug for me, okay?"
"Send my love to the girls too," Joseph says, a hand up in a brief wave. "Take care've yourself, Raquelle." And with that, he's moving across the foyer, and barring a small push/pull confusion with the door that lasts two seconds, Joseph makes his way out into the hazy fall early noon, headed for his next errand.
Raquelle watches after Joseph, leaning against the front desk with his arms crossed over his chest with a quick chin-up and a soft, "Be safe and much love…" A wistful expression on his face but he is quick to clear his throat and duck his head almost sheepishly, turning back to his desk and glaring at the book. "Don't look at me bitch, you were watching him walk away too, hmph." Then it is back to work.