Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - Printable Version

Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - Printable Version

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RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-19-2019

A few days after they agreed to lunch, Owen called and asked her if she would be amenable to doing dinner instead. Julianna agreed without thinking about it. Why would she have to think about it? Dinner was much more of a date than lunch. She had really only suggested lunch to test the waters. To see if he would be interested in going out with her at all.

But now, it was dinner. She was buzzing with excitement as she closed the shop. Early on Sundays, which gave her more time to get ready before the agreed upon meeting time. She had straightened her hair the night before. Her charming ringlets were now elegant waves that cascaded enticingly over her face and shoulders. She liked how grown up the style made her look. Not that she wasn't grown up. She was an adult, but her sheltered life sometimes made her feel as if she were still a child.

Which is why she had not told her parents about her date. She'd decided to keep that bit of info to herself, until she knew what was going to come of the date. It was one date. Nothing to write home about. So to speak.

Julianna showered away the day's grime with a invigorating citrus soap. Finally, she was going to see him and not be covered in fertilizer as sweat. She had never been self-conscious about the dirt until he had become a patron, and then she was always mortified to see him. She wondered about what he would wear as she dressed herself. She chose a dark blue wrap dress decorated in multicolored flowers. It had a low neckline and high slit and her mother absolutely would not approve of it. Delicate heeled sandals completed the look, and made her taller, but not by much.

Her phone buzzed as she applied her make-up. A message from Owen, letting her know that he was one his way. A second thread, from her mother. She knew it would be the usual gossip, but what she read caught her off guard.

-Wife finally spotted at new neighbors!

Wife?

Owen's...wife?

She quickly clicked the phone off and put it down. Certainly, if that was true he wouldn't be taking her out right? Julianna was frowning, which made it hard to fix her lipstick. No, no, no, she wasn't going to let her mother's meddling ruin her-

There was a knock on the door.

Julianna quickly finished and fluffed her hair in the mirror, before darting downstairs to answer the door. Pulling it open and seeing Owen standing on the other side, looking like a dream made her momentarily forget about her mother's message.

"Hi," she said back. He looked so good, which he always did, but today was different. Checking him out meant her gaze fell on the bouquet. "Are...those for me?""

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-19-2019

Owen sucked in a breath and tried to make his face look neutral but pleasant. Time seemed to slow as his eyes met hers and he felt the corner of his mouth curl slowly into his lopsided smile. He was immensely aware of himself as he took her in.

When she opened the door and stepped forward he noticed the shifting of floral fabric that revealed a peep of thigh. His heart thumped.

His gaze moved first towards the most noticeable difference: her hair. The usual curls had been tamed into soft shiny waves that caught the light. And then it was the neckline.

There was nothing casual about any of this.

"Yes." He said smoothly. He thought himself like that common duck metaphor. Calm and smooth on the surface but paddling desperately underneath. "These are for you."

He swept the bouquet up and offered it to her.

"You look... lovely."

With his other hand he took the door, so that she wouldn’t have to hold it open, and he swung it wider, stepping into the threshold. She would need a moment to put up the flowers, so he would get a peak at her living space - which he had yet to see.

“I made reservations for us.” He said not to rush her but so that she would know they had a timeframe to leave. He also wanted her to know that he had put thought into their date.

He gazed around the entryway and living room as he walked slowly behind her inside. The home was cozy as he expected it would be. A bit large for only one girl living alone. But she filled it with decorations and plants and furniture so the space didn’t feel empty or lonely to him. He touched the waxy leaf of an overgrown pothos plant that spilled off of a side table down to the floor. He thought about Maeve asking him if he was sure she was a plant witch.

“I like your place.”

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-19-2019

Julianna beamed at him. Less conscious of policing her expression. She didn't feel the need quite honestly when she was so damn delighted. It lit up her entire face, which is not to say she wasn't looking particularly radiant before. "Thank you," she replied with a bit of a giggle. A response for both his compliment and the gift. "You always look wonderful." She stepped away from the door, bouquet in hand, to allow him entry. "But I'm very much enjoying a bit of color on you."

The light fabric of the dress billowed and swayed around her feet as she walked. It was as if some kind of clever magic was keeping the whole thing from unraveling or revealing too much. "I'm going to get a vase for these flowers," she explained as she moved towards the kitchen. Leaving him to look around as he liked.

Plants took up most of the livable space inside her house. Ficus sat in large pots on the floor. Succulents and cacti lined the windowsills. Long vines of ivy and spider plants hung from the ceiling, spilling out of their planters. A giant aloe plant marked the entry to the kitchen. Unsurprisingly the space was not free of plants. Herbs hung on the walls in specialized planters she'd fashioned into a vertical garden. The scents of thyme, and mint and rosemary lingered permanently in the kitchen as if she were always cooking something.

She'd found a vase made of iridescent glass that shifted colors in the light. Julianna unwrapped her bouquet and settled the plants in the vase after filling it with some water. They already seemed more vibrant from her touch. She looked up when Owen entered the kitchen. "Oh! Thank you!" She seemed surprised that he was complimenting her house. Julianna had heard many times that it was all...too much, but she didn't care.

"I'm ready to go if you are. Let me just grab my purse."

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-19-2019

Owen arched his brow amused at her comment about the usual color of his wardrobe. Had she, in her so very sweet way, implied that he was usually a bit dreary? He didn’t mind. It was true. He assumed this was why Maeve had dressed him in color.

He watched her glide down the hall towards the kitchen as he followed slowly behind and lingered some over the plant filled rooms. Nothing about it surprised him. It was all in line with the theory he was cultivating about her. Plant witch.

“Yes, I’m aware my usual color palette is... somewhat dreary.” He said after a long pause. He was speaking from the hall even as she was already in the kitchen. “I thought it was a special occasion though, so why not a bit of color?” His smile was of lighthearted self-deprecation as he entered the kitchen.

He lingered near her wall of growing spices, his eyes were immediately drawn to the rosemary. He felt a flush come across him as he realized the significance of the rosemary oil Maeve had put on him. Love and romance. He’d been too preoccupied with being a brat earlier to put it together then. When he thought Julianna wasn’t looking, Owen snagged a bit of basil and mint and stuck them in his pocket. For luck.

“Sure.” He said agreeably to her announcement that she just needed to fetch her pocketbook before they could leave. He headed back to the door and waited for her to join him.

The sun was a molten half disc on the horizon as Owen walked Julianna to his car. He opened the passenger door for her. He tried to be a gentleman about his gaze as she navigated getting into the car with that risky slit in her dress. He couldn’t say that he entirely avoided witnessing a length of shapely thigh. She was almost painfully sexy. The collar of his shirt felt tight as he closed her safely inside the vehicle before he rounded to his side.

“Have you replaced the displays that Cain broke, yet? Is your store whole again?” Owen asked to break the ice as they pulled away from her house. He dialed the radio into some A.M. station that Ethan always requested. It played only instrumental music.

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-20-2019

Julianna willed the butterflies to stop tumbling around in her stomach in the short walk to retrieve her belongings. A navy blue clutch that matched her dress and was just large enough to hold her keys, ID, a debit card and some touch-up items. She met him in the entryway and he escorted her to the car. Julianna had worried that she would feel bashful in such a risky dress. She'd purchased it on a whim to spite her mother, even though she didn't think the woman would ever see it. She was surprised by how confident she had felt instead. And sexy, with her hair tumbling over her collarbones and a bit of shimmering lotion on her cleavage.

The dusky lighting was doing wonders for them both. His eyes seemed to glow in such a fantastic way, the orange sunset bringing out the flecks of cold in his irises. Owen helped her into the car as she carefully maneuvered into it. He was close enough now to notice that he smelled delicious. Woodsy and herbal. Her heart was pounding in her ears when he joined her in the driver's seat.

Both of them suffering over the other and having no idea.

"Yes, actually! There wasn't that much damage, really. It just seemed like a lot with glass and herbs everywhere. The shelving was an easy enough fix for my brother and jars are a dime a dozen around here. How are the boys doing?"

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-20-2019

Owen already knew the route to the restaurant. He made sure to memorize everything so he would come across as confident and capable. Apparently, dating wasn’t as much of a mystery to him as he made it out to be. It was really about presenting the best side of yourself before letting the less presentable sides peak through. From his vantage point, he doubted there was anything about her that would come out that he wouldn’t like. She was so charming and easy to be with.

“I’m glad.” He was truly relieved that the damage wasn’t as extensive as it had appeared to him. The sting of embarrassment and horror was still rather fresh.

“Cain’s hand is fine.” He started with a knowing smile at her, perhaps she would like to know the state of his minor wound that she had so expertly bandaged.

“The boys are probably having the time of their lives with their babysitter. A good friend of mine, Maeve, came to town to watch the boys and visit for a while. They’re excited to see a familiar face and one so willing to spoil them against their father’s wishes.”

He glanced over at her looking amused and caught a glimpse of the light playing off that plunging neckline. He looked away again like he had been burned.

Was it gauche to compliment her appearance again so soon?

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-21-2019

"I'm happy to hear they're doing well," she replied, with a polite chuckle. "I like them so much. They're energy is exciting." Nervous fingers pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She had only been on a handful of dates, and none of them had been with men that she had been some determined to impress. They had been pre-approved by her mother, which meant plain and boring and only ever took her for ice cream in the park.

She was still making excuses to her mother as to why she did not want to see them again.

Julianna wanted Owen to think she was just as mature and classy as he was. Even if she didn' t know where this would go since his wife-

"Babysitter?" She echoed. Her gaze darted to his profile from the window as she sort of blurted out the next bit," not your wife?" Her teeth clicked as her mouth snapped shut. What she'd said would sound strange without an explanation. Julianna blushed, knowing it would sound strange with her explanation.

She cleared her throat. "I don't- well. My mother text me today. She mentioned that a woman had been at your house. I guess she assumed it was your wife."

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-22-2019

Their eyes were drawn together like powerful magnets when she said the word. Wife. So they’d be getting into that topic already? Well, he supposed it was hot on her mind -

The snap of her teeth together was audible over the music and Owen watched bewildered as a blush spread over her high cheeks.

Was she saying her mother saw a woman at my house?

Owen blinked at Julianna in somewhat disbelief and then returned his gaze dutifully to the road. The topic and this revelation had thrown him off, certainly. He cleared his throat and twisted his hands on the wheel.

“I figured this topic would come up sooner or later. I imagine many people wonder...about me and the boys and a notably absent a wife/mother.” He began cautiously and glancing at her he answered her unasked inquiry. Was he married? “My wife passed away last year, actually. She got sick.”

He kept it vague and simple. It would answer the question she might wonder at as well: how had it happened. Some people were actually rude enough to ask. And that annoyed him, so he had taken to automatically giving people a notion of the means of death so they wouldn't lean in confidentially and apologize and ask in that way.

He let her digest the conversational bomb he unleashed. Honestly, he hated telling people his wife died not because it made him sad but because so often people’s reactions made the loss feel worse. Their over-dramatic sympathy and tired platitudes made him want to punch something. The more time that passed, the more difficult it became to tell people. Mostly because he was trying to move on and the revelation while new to them wasn't anything new to him. He disliked the process of watching people try to figure out how to interpret it and how to respond.

“The woman that your mother saw was Maeve, my friend from back home.”

Owen wrinkled his nose, playing at cringing, “Does your mother watch my house? Is that like a Cedgewick thing or...just a your mother thing?” He was eager to leave behind the topic of his dead wife and move on with something less morbid.

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-22-2019

The butterflies she had been feeling turned to a heavy rock in that dropped into the pit of her stomach. "I'm so sorry," she said. So softly that it sounded like a whisper in her ears. Julianna wished there was something else to say. She was sorry for his loss and for dredging up something so painful. She shouldn't have forced the topic on him. She should have trusted him instead of letting a gossipy text for her mother put an inkling of doubt in her mind.

If she had thought for even a moment that Owen would be two-timing her or a significant other, she wouldn't have gone out with him at all. She wouldn't have even been flirting with him all those times in the shop.

Julianna's face burned with embarrassment and she shied away from his gaze. She turned her eyes forward to the road stretched out in front of them. She could see the skyline of Longford, a larger city neighboring Cedgewick, in the distance. She could count on one hand the number of times she had been to Langford. Her eyes traced the tall buildings. They were shadows against the setting sun.

"It's uh..." she chuckled, a nervous and staccato sound. She fiddled with the clasp on her clutch briefly. "It's both? Cedgewick is small. You and the boys are new and exciting. My mother turns gossip into a full time job. You moving in down the street is doing wonders for business. Are we going to Langford?" She answered him, and posed her own question. The excitement that had briefly been dampened by guilt was bubbling up again with the change of topic.

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-23-2019

Owen's smile was a hint of sadness and a hint of tension but mostly it was understanding. "It's okay." He reassured her as gracefully as he could. "We are getting to know each other. It would have come up anyway."

He merely laughed and shook his head in response to the fact that he was a hot topic for the small town gossip. "I figured as much."

Following the direction of her gaze, towards the city line framed against the sunset, Owen nodded. "Yes. We're going to Keens on Riverwalk. Have you been there?" He didn't know her inexperience with the city and hoped his date location wasn't too obvious. It was a speakeasy style lounge and restaurant that required reservations to access the passcode that changed daily to get into the building.

Owen figured it would be hard to go wrong with the Riverwalk district. They could stroll along the river and stop into any bar or dessert cafe or shop along the way. It occurred to him that it was, perhaps, a safe date choice. Wouldn't every couple in the city be at Riverwalk on for a romantic weekend evening? ...he could be more creative if there were to be other dates.

Owen left the interstate and took the bridge that would lead them direct into Langford downtown. The sky was turning darker shades of purple and red. Lights came on steadily in the buildings and were already on in the Riverwalk district which they could see from the bridge. Owen paid for valet parking and they found themselves standing on a sidewalk in the cool spring evening with an entire date still ahead of them.

"This way," he said, placing his hand on the center of her spine directing her down the street that would take them just slightly out of Riverwalk. Of course, the restaurant had to be a discreet entrance. That was part of the whole gimmick.

"We're looking for this." On his phone, he showed her a picture of the doorway that was posted their website. "Then we call, say my name, and get a password. You'll see."

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-25-2019

With a bit of awkwardness behind them, Owen asked if she had ever been to the restaurant he had in mind. She shook her head. "No, I haven't," she admitted. She knew the Riverwalk was a popular date spot, but that was only from hearsay around town. She would hear pretty girls who got to go to public school and had parents less strict than her own, talk about it's charm when she was stuck helping her mom in the library. As a matter of fact she had only been to Langford in the past to visit the cities libraries on errands with her mom. She did not reveal this to him. Not wanting to advertise just how...lame she really was. Even now, as a grown woman, her mother would be all out of sorts to hear she had gone to Langford. With a man she had only met in passing, no less.

Julianna's mother was finally pushed from her mind as a valet helped her out of Owen's car. Owen came around to meet her, and she took a moment to look around while he payed. She was immediately enchanted and the experience had only really just begun. Langford had the same Historic charm as Cedgewick, but was wildly more modernized by the chic boutiques and restaurants that inhabited the shopping district.

Owen's hand was a gentle pressure on her back, leading her forward. Even that simple touch was exciting. Julianna wondered if he would still do it if she wore something backless next time.

Peeking over at his phone, she giggled. "How mysterious," she commented, unaware of the restaurants theme. The door in the image, was just subtle enough to overlook if you weren't explicitly seeking it. Unpainted redwood with an antique door knocker in the center of it. "How did you find this place," she asked as they walked. Before he could answer she was immediately drawn to the window of a shop they were passing.

"Oh! Look at these," she exclaimed, leaning forward to peek into the darkened window. Hand-painted gold lettering on the glass advertised the shop: Artanis Chocolatier. A display in the window was showing off dozens of little chocolate truffles. All glossy and colorful. Hand written signs displayed all the flavors. "They're so cute," she cooed. "Too bad they are closed."

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 10-29-2019

Owen didn’t want to tell her that he had asked a barista what was a good date spot. He’d rather she think he was mysterious and good at picking places on his own. She was quickly enough on to a new topic: the chocolate shop. Like an excited and distracted child flitting from new thing to new thing. Owen was beginning to understand that perhaps Julianna had not spent much time in Langford before. One of the first weekends after moving to Cedgewick, he had brought the boys to the city and walked around in the district during the day. They had lunch and gourmet chocolates in Riverwalk and gone to the big Lego store in town.
“The shop is owned by an older lady. Just she and her granddaughter work here, so their hours are very limited.” He explained as Julianna looked over the chocolates. “Come on.” He said, touching her back again to get her moving.

He leaned close and pointed. “There.” The red door was across the street.

Owen called the restaurant’s phone number,. “Weatherfare for two.” He smiled when he received the secret code word, half rolling his eyes. He led Julianna to the cross walk and guided her across the street and down to the restaurant’s door. His hand left her back to take the knocker.

The door was opened by a man in a vintage three piece suit. “Code?”

Owen glanced at Julianna and smirked before saying, “Gasper.”

The glanced out the door before opening it wider to admit them. They walked down a hall lined with black and white photos from the jazz age before being led through a set of double doors that opened into a bustling room but dimly lit room. The bar was the feature of the room, the most brightly lit by sparkly chandeliers. Otherwise there were small shaded lamps with dangling tassels along the walls that provided soft lighting. The wait staff themselves were easy enough to recognize in period clothing.

Owen and Julianna were led to a small table for two. They were left with menus and a flickering tea light on the table. A jazz ballad played overhead.

Owen peaked first at the drink menu, “So, what do you think? Too over the top with the theme or what?”

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 10-31-2019

It was easy enough to pull her away from the window of the closed shop. Likely, it would have been a different matter if they'd been open for business. She could just make out the other goodies in the darkened storefront and would have wanted to fawn over them all. Maybe he would bring her back sometime when they were open.

Julianna would have missed the door they were looking for if Owen had not pointed it out for. Admittedly, she'd stopped looking for the door because she was too busy taking in the other sights on their short walk through the river district.

While Owen was playing at being exasperated by the idiosyncrasies of the theme, Jules was giddy with excitement. A bright smile was permanently affixed to her features since they'd left his car. She playfully oohed and gasped over the cheesy air of mystery until they were admitted inside.

"I think it's fantastic," she countered without missing a beat. The truth of her words shone in the elated glimmer of her green eyes as they continued to bounce around and take in the rest of the room. "I didn't even know about this place." She chuckled. She glanced down at the menu, which carried on the theme in full force. Looking dated and printed with very prohibition terminology.

"Thank you for bringing me." She had never been to a place with so many different cocktails, let alone sampled most of the liquors they offered. She was not going to mention that, and simply try her luck with a choice that had a fun name. "What do you think you'll have?" She asked, spotting something on the menu called a White Lady, that sounded very classy.

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - saronym - 11-03-2019

Owen found the drink titles amusing, they all harkened back to the 20s of course with references to culture, books, music, slang, and the like. He was smiling beside himself as he scanned the menu (thankful he had his glasses). It was cheesy but tastefully done and the air of the restaurant was rather romantic in a rather tragic Great Gatsby sort of way. One last hoorah as the world crumbled.

He liked it.

“This ‘Decline and Fall’ drink is essentially an old fashioned, so I think that’s it for me.” He put the drink menu down and glanced around making eye contact with the waiter who was observing to see when they would be ready to put in an initial order.

When their drink orders were put in, Owen leaned back into his chair and idly perused the menu for a starter for them. Maybe he should let her choose it. He wasn’t sure what she liked. He didn’t know anything about her.

Glancing up from his menu, Owen watched her for a moment. The low lighting was especially sexy on her, playing shadows off her collar bones and yet the light hit perfectly so that her skin seemed to glow on the parts that weren’t in shadow. He wondered briefly if she would let him strip that dress off her.

Not to get ahead of himself.

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard of this place. You know, I asked a couple of locals for suggestions - forgive me I’m new here - and a few people told me Keens is a good spot and Riverwalk in general... I was worried maybe you’d been here before.”

RE: Black Tea & Lavender [Closed] - megs - 11-03-2019

Julianna glanced up at the menu to sneak a peek at him and found him already looking at her. She smiled at him and sat straighter in the chair. Fingers threaded a delicate but wayward curl behind her ear. She wore dangling earring that shimmered in the light. Casting small rainbow across her jaw. She still felt a bit of nervousness to be with him. Unsure of how she convinced such a handsome and sophisticated man to take her on date.

"I don't come to Langford very often," she admitted.

What was something she could say that wasn't 'my mother gets upset when I leave Cedgewick' to explain not coming to the city? It was difficult to think up anything that didn't sound equally as unfortunate and sheltered. She settled for, "I know the River District is a popular date spot." She laughed to sound mature and careless about following up with, "But I don't go on too many dates.”

When their drinks arrived, Julianna was clearly delighted by the look of hers. An ethereal liquid in an elegant martini glass. There was a foamy layer on the top and it was garnished prettily with a twisted piece of lemon peel. She reached for her phone and took a picture of it without thinking about how silly it may have looked to Owen.

A text from her mother caught her attention, but she ignored it. Clicking off the phone and tucking it away again, quickly. She smiled, a bit bashfully, this time before tasting it.

Julianna paused, mid-sip. Her nose wrinkled. She made a face but quickly tried to police her expression. She swallowed and put the glass down. She looked for a moment like her pretty drink had betrayed her.

“What do you think of the bruschetta to start,” she asked, not wanting to admit she didn’t like her drink.