2013.05.23 - Cannoli and Good Company

The dinner rush is over at Anita Bella, but there are still diners lingering over their meals. Fern actually has a cleared section, and she doesn't expect many more new arrivals, so she's been helping the other servers and doing general busy work. Wiping down tables as the busboy clears them. Making sure everything is set to right at the empty tables. She's biding her time until closing now, keeping one eye on the door and one ear on a group of guys at a table as they exchange anecdotes from college. Yes, she's gotten just that desperate for entertainment. 
 
As she swings by the most recently vacated table in her section she pauses to brush an stray crumb from the surface. Then she moves on, dingy white sneakers squeaking lightly as she walks. 
It's a bit later than normal for Justin to take dinner, but he's had a less than normal day. Having finally finished up his workload at the office he decides to make a trip out to Brooklyn to get Italian at one of his new favorite places- Anita Bella. While the food is good and he likes the atmopshere, his decision was made specifically to try and catch the young actress who's making ends meet waiting tables.
The black Lincoln limo pulls up in front of the restaurant, and a gentleman in a black suit exits the driver's side and opens the rear door for the Hammer Industries CEO. Justin exits the vehicle, lets the driver, Jack, know he'll call him when the meal is over, and heads for the front door. When he walks into the restaurant and addresses the hostess, it's obvious he's not on top of his game. His tone is quieter, less obnoxious, than usual, and he isn't as clean shaven as he normally is. Smiling to her, he politely asks to be seated in Fern's section, if she's working.
The hostess is relatively new to the restaurant, and doesn't keep up with the business news any more than Fern herself does, so, while she's not rude about it, she doesn't just meet the gentleman's request. "I'm sorry, but her section is already shut down. But I can sit you with..." 
 
Before she has a chance to finish the thought, Fern appears at her elbow, drawn by the subdued but familiar voice. "It's alright, Tiff, Mr. Hammer is always welcome in my section." Her warm smile turns up to the tall man, a curious light in her eyes at his less than typically impeccable fuzz, and she steps aside to motion him in. "C'mon, Justin, let's sit you down and get you something to eat." She moves a step ahead of him, orange uniform a beacon for him to follow, and he's led to a booth with privacy. The little waitress steps aside to let him sit, asking gently as he gets settled, "How're you doing?" 
Hammer was about to reach for his wallet and offer the hostess a $20 bill to make an exception when Fern shows up at her side. He grins to her, a bit more genuinely than usual. He follows her back to the booth quietly, not speaking until after he's sat down. "Been better," he admits pretty plainly, but he doesn't dive into details yet. "How about you? Your shift almost over?" he asks, taking a guess since her section was closed before he arrived.
Fern leans lightly against the side of the bench seat opposite Justin, concern in her eyes at his subdued nature. There's a nod to his question, "Yeah, getting there. But I'm glad to see you. What can I start you out with? Cup of coffee? Glass of wine?" While she's not exactly hovering, there's a little bit of mother henning going on. 
It's kind of ironic that Fern is taking up the mother hen sort of role, given she's almost young enough to be Justin's daughter. The man thinks a moment, then replies to the question. "Wine, whatever the house recommends." He drinks a lot of high-dollar liquors, but honestly he really doesn't know wines. He just likes to pretend that he does. "Oh, and can you bring out an order of the cannoli's first?" 
The warm smile is back, and Fern is quick to indulge Justin in having dessert before dinner. "I'll have Jerry pick what goes best with cannoli." Is there a wine that goes best with cannoli? She moves closer, laying her hand on his shoulder gently. "Relax, listen to the music, and I'll be back before you even know I'm gone," she promises. The music is typical Italian restaurant fare, Dean Martin, Sinatra, and, of course, the pride of New York Italians (at least of Anita) Billy Joel. Fern moves off quickly, snagging Jerry as she heads into the kitchen. 
Oddly, Justin actually flinches when Fern puts her hand on his shoulder. It's small and completely involuntary, but it's there. He nods to the waitress and grins again. "Sounds good, I'll be here," he replies, trying to sound a bit more upbeat than he was previously. After Fern has walked back toward the kitchen Hammer leans forward, elbows on the table. He stays like that for a moment before pulling his phone out of an inside pocket of his suit jacket to check the screen for messages.
The wine consultation is brief, and Fern gives Jerry a minute to do his 'wine thing' at Justin's table. While he's friendly with the CEO, he's brief and efficient, clearing out before Fern returns. She waits just a beat more before returning herself, two fresh cannoli on a plate, set before Justin with a flourish. "Your appetizer, sir," she jokes lightly. The flinch, which many people might not have noticed, wasn't missed, and Fern leans again. "Did you know that it's been scientifically proven that a couple cannoli make any day a little bit better?" 
Justin quickly puts his phone down when Jerry brings over the wine. After the glass is poured and the waiter moves off, he starts to reach for the phone again but Fern reappears with food. He grins, a bit better than the last time. "Hey, never turn down an opportunity t eat desert first. You never know what could happen," he offers before chuckling at the statement about cannoli being able to make the day better. "Ya know, I don't doubt that one bit." He picks up his napkin and tucks it in his shirt collar like he usually does, and picks up a fork (like the wrong one) and starts in on the desert. "So what have you been up to?" he asks the waitress, unless she moves to leave again.
Fern's got nowhere else to be.... well, ok, she could be helping out the others still, but her favorite customers always get priority, and Justin is at the top of that list. She does shift her stance, but it's only to perch on the edge of the bench across from Justin. "Oh, the usual," she says with a casual shrug. "No auditions lately, but work has been keeping me busy. And I've been learning some self defence from a friend. That usually gives me an extra bruise or two to get me through the week." The words are light and good natured, coming with another smile. "How about you?" she tosses back at him. 
Justin listens to the woman while he eats. He's genuinely interested, which says a lot. Most of the time he only listens to other people half-heartedly, unless it's somthing that is buisness related. "Self defense? That's good. Let me know if you're ever interested in learning to shoot." Talking about self defense is a perfect lead-in for her questions, whether Fern knows it or not. Hammer's expression falters a bit, and he pauses to take another bite of the cannoli before he answers. "Been hell at work. Got robbed last night."
"My daddy taught me a bit about guns," Fern offers. "He had them around, locked up, of course. But he still thought it better to teach us than to just hide them away and hope we never found them." Her brows lift, "But I could always use a refresher." When Justin mentions his misfortune, Fern's eyes widen almost comically. "Justin! Are you alright?" She can't stop the question, even though it's pretty clear that he must not be physically damaged, at least not badly, if he's here having wine and cannoli. Still, her concern is back, and she leans forward as she looks him over. 
Justin makes a mental note to invite Fern down to the HI testing ranges to do some shooting. He doesn't have a chance to respond to that subject before Fern reacts to the news of him being robbed. He holds his hands up, the left palm out and the right still holding the fork he was eating with. "I'm fine, I'm fine. All the guy got was my wallet. Waiting on getting new cards, a new drivers license, y'know, the usual." 
There's a sigh as Fern is reassured by the answer, but the smile isn't quick to return. In fact, she shakes her head slightly, peering across at him. "Well, I'm glad again that you're alright. Justin, you just never have a dull day, do you?" There's a gentle chide to the question, but it's affectionate and not mean. "No wonder you needed the cannoli first." 
Hammer goes back to eating while he talks. "Not anymore I don't," he replies between bites. "Doesn't seem like it, anyway." He does manage a bit of a chuckle at the mention of eating his desert first. "So, if you want a firearms refresher, you should come by the test ranges at Hammer Industries. I have quite a collection of weapons you could give a go."
Justin's chuckle is what draws Fern's smile out again, and his offer clearly piques her interest. "That sounds like that would be neat. I don't know all that much, Daddy did kind of favor my brothers," she says with her own soft laugh. "But I did have better aim than any of them." That's added with no little amount of pride. Her eyes drop to his plate, noting his progress. "What else can I bring you, Justin? You can't run a business on just cannoli." 
"It's said that women are naturally better shots than men," Justin offers to Fern with a grin. "And I'd be happy to teach you what I can. I'm not a bad shot myself, if I do say so." There's a touch of his usual arrogant tone in his words, but it's not offensive. He really is a hell of a good shot. 
You can't survive on cannoli alone? Nonsense! Though, Fern's probably right. A dinner of nothing but sugar isn't good for Justin, as tempting as it is. "Oh, whatever your special is tonight will be fine," he says.
Fern's grin mirrors Justin's, "I think that would be great. Check your calendar, let me know when is good for you?" She slips to her feet, smoothing her skirt down absently. "Baked ziti today, with sausage and Anita's homemade sauce. I'll get ya all fixed up." There's a hesitation before she raises her hand again, slowly, letting it rest on his shoulder once more. She gives a light squeeze, doing her best to be reassuring. "Stuff in a wallet can be replaced. You can't be." A muffled squeak from her shoes comes as she turns, and she goes to put in Justin's order, and get him a salad, to take the edge off all that sugar he just packed away. 
"That sounds great," Justin doesn't flinch when the waitress touches his shoulder this time, having finally relaxed a bit. Between the robbery last night and the general stress of work, he was carrying a lot of tension he hadn't noticed. "Thanks, Fern," he says as the girl flits off to gather his order. Once she's out of sight he picks his phone up off the table to check his calendar to see what his schedule looks like. He's very serious about bringing Fern out to HI.
For the rest of his meal, Justin will be even more pampered than normal, Fern attentive to everything he might need before he even realizes it. With no other customers to take her attention, she's got plenty of time to chat with him, and set a tentative 'playdate'. By the time he's ready to leave he's been wined and dined, and Fern walks him to the door companionably. "Be careful," she says, brushing a piece of fuzz off his lapel. "No more misadventures." As if he can control them. But still. Just before he leaves, she reaches to the hostess stand, picking up a little Anita Bella box. He's seen it's ilk before, and it means cannoli for him to have later, wrapped up for him by Anita herself. 
Category:Log