lady&tramp

[sadhillock]

New York City, 2015


Central Park


Monday, 8:00 am


Everyone hates Mondays.


The dread of another work week hung thickly in the damp morning air, mirrored above by thick grey clouds. Businessmen sighed deeply into their coffees, vendors rubbed sleep from their eyes as they prepared to showcase their wares, artists lazily set up their easels and placed tip jars at their feet. The world itself seemed to move in slow motion.


Suddenly, a sound. It pierced the air like a bolt of light, banishing the grayness of the world. It was a laugh.


A small crowd had gathered. In the middle of the throng, seated on the asphalt, was a clown. He was wearing a suit, torn at the shoulder, smudged with dirt. On his head was a crumpled hat; a tie hung loosely around his neck. He was feebly attempting to light a cigarette that hung between his white painted lips.


Hiss! A match was lit and brought to the cigarette, and extinguished just before catching the paper. The clown huffed and tried again, this time bringing the match too close to his face and scorching his red nose. He howled in exaggerated agony and fell backwards, holding his injured face. A small child laughed and pointed from the crowd, saying things like "smoking hurts you, don't do it!" and "what a silly person!". Under thick painted brows the clown's eyes met the child's, and for the faintest moment, he seemed to smile.


The man rose to his feet, and in doing so, placed his foot into a metal bed-pan that had been sitting by him. He went to step forward, under the guise of telling the child to mind his own business, and instantly fell forwards. The crowd parted quickly as the sad tramp rolled into a somersault. The bed pan flew into the air and with a loud DING landed exactly on his head. Laughter arose from the crowd, as the clown tried removing the 'stuck' pan to no avail.


Everyone hates Mondays... But everyone loves Mr. Mondays.


Every week at the same time he came here, performing for people. It felt right, making them happy. Their every day problems seemed small compared to the woes "Mr. Mondays" had. He offered them an escape, if only for a few moments, and in return he was paid well for it.


Change jingled in the bed pan he held out as the crowd started to part, ready and refreshed to go on their own ways. Each tip was answered with goofy grin and a nod of thanks. He had made at least twenty dollars that morning, by his estimate anyways, and that was good enough for the moment.


"Good work again, John," he said to himself happily, pulling the handkerchief from his front pocket and wiping the paint off his face. "Now, I think it's about time to find some breakfast."

 

[iGross]

New York City, 2015


Just outside of Central Park


Monday, 8:10 AM





Natalie hurried past the entrance of the park, the click of her heels the only sound she could hear. The wind nipped at her bare legs beneath her black pencil skirt. The coffee in her right hand burning through the cup causing her hands to shake as she squeezed past unmoving bodies.


Mondays were Natalies best day while everyone else was dreary and contemplating the existence of the day, Natalie was contemplating spread sheets and how best to get by. She adjusted her blazer, sighing as the wind whipped into her shirt through the gap that ended just above her bust. She was watching the ground, digging in her purse as she bumped into a man. "Humph! Sorry.." She mumbled, her brown hair whipping into her face and hiding her subtle features and striking brown eyes.

 

[sadhillock]

John had been distracted as well, placing the dollar bills in a neat pile and placing the wad in his pocket. As he was collecting the change from the bed pan he felt the jolt of someone bumping him. Coins clattered to the ground as his hand shot out instinctively to catch whoever it was that hit him, but he missed his mark and knocked into the cup of coffee she held instead.


"Oh!" he exclaimed, half laughing. "I'm so sorry about that. I wasn't even looking where I was going, miss." His eyes scanned over her quickly, trying to discern the face hidden under her hair.


What a mess I must look, he thought to himself. A well-dressed business lady stood in front of him, and here he was looking like he'd just climbed out of the gutter. To combat the self-conscious thoughts, he flashed her a charming smile, and hoped against hope she wouldn't be too angry with him.

 

[iGross]

Natalie hissed as some of the coffee splashed against her chest. "Shit!" She whinced, instinctively pulling the shirt away from her body. "No no it's fine," she smiled, laughing as she moved her hair from her face. She had a subtle jaw line, with high cheek bones and a delicate brow. "I wasn't paying attention either, so no worries." She flashed an equally charming smiling, looking up at the much taller man. A hint of blush dawned her cheeks as she studied the mans face. She looked away quickly, giggling at his choice of clothing and the remnants of his clown makeup.


 
(I have to go for a bit.)

 

[sadhillock]

ooc:// Alright. No worries.


When her face was revealed, John's eyes opened a little wider. His charming smile turned to more of an open mouthed stare. Wow. He retrieved the handkerchief from his coat pocket and extended it to her. "Here, this should help dry up the--" He looked down at the small square of fabric, now smudged with black and white oil paints from his face, and retracted his hand a bit.


Think, man, think.


Usually, he was so outgoing and knew just what to say. His mind scrambled for something, anything, to say to keep her attention for just a bit longer. "I'm John," he finally said, extending his right hand for a shake. "Glad we ran into each other."

 

[iGross]

Natalie tilted her head a bit. "I'm Natalie, I'm not so glad." She gestured to her shirt before laughing again.


Smile, breath.





She instructed herself, took his hand and shook it delicately. She pulled her hand away and examined her black nail polish to keep herself busy. "So, are you a clown?" She asked bluntly, maybe a little to blunt, Nate. She bit her lip in embarrassment. The girl pushed her hair back again, sighing a little.


What would you normally do?





She racked her brain for an idea, for any sign of intelligence. It was gone, whether from the stinging of the coffee or the impeccably beautiful man in front of her, she had no clue.

 

[sadhillock]

John laughed outright. "Only on Mondays," he said, tipping his beaten hat. "I'm Mr. Monday today. Tomorrow I'm someone else. I take it you're an upstanding business woman? One of the one percenters?" He winked devilishly. Though it was only a few years ago, the Occupy Wallstreet movement had turned into somewhat of a joke, and John loved telling jokes.


You should buy her coffee, he thought to himself, then dismissed the thought. She already had some. He could feel his palms beginning to sweat and placed one hand casually in his pocket, as if to hide that fact.

 

[iGross]

"I'm actually just an assistant right now." She admitted in a embarrassed tone. "But, I will be one day. Soon." She shrugged some, noting the fact that he had put his hand in his pocket. "So, who are you on Tuesdays?" She smiled playfully.


Buzz buzz. The girl looked at her now buzzing phone. "Shit." She murmured, looking back up at the man. Invite him for coffee later. "I have to run to the office." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "But, if you want maybe we could go for coffee after work?" She added in a hopeful tone, leaning up a bit.

 

[sadhillock]

"On Tuesdays, I'm...uh..." he paused for a moment, a bit of color rising to his cheeks, "I'm Mister Pizza." Mister Pizza was the mascot of a local pizza joint off Broadway. Usually it didn't bother him, but her seeing him as a large slice of pepperoni pizza with buck teeth waving a sign on the sidewalk embarrassed him a little.


His thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing. Her offer of coffee made him light up. "I think that would be a great idea," he responded. "I know a great cafe only a few blocks from here. You know Frieda's? How about I meet you there?"

 

[iGross]

"Alright. Do you want my number just in case something comes up?" She smiled sweetly, blushing at the image of him in a pizza suit. She dug through her faux leather purse and pulled out a small notepad. Natalie scribbled out her number in delicate, curly penmanship. She bit her tongue as she wrote, before pulling the page out and offering it to him with two fingers.


"Frieda's is my favorite by the way." She laughed as she picked up her spilled coffee cup, showing the label to him before she crumbled it, and tossed it into a near by trash can. She looked at him over her shoulder. Her fingers twined themselves in her hair absentmindedly before she looked down at her now coffee stained shirt. "I'm sure Marsha has an extra I can borrow." She mumbled to herself.

 

[sadhillock]

John took the paper from Natalie with a smile. "That sounds great, Natalie," he said. Suddenly, it felt as if his heart was stuck in his throat. He swallowed a few times, trying to force it back down. "I'll call you around five."


As she walked away, he looked down at the paper. "Now you've done it," he said. How long had it been since he'd been on a date? Was this even considered a date? He sighed, placed his palm on his forehead. She was a nice girl, he could tell already. And it's one thing to give your number to a clown, but what about an actual tramp? He didn't even have a phone.


And what would he even wear?


Grabbing some change out of his bed pan he went to a payphone and inserted the change. The phone rang twice before a sleepy voice answered on the other side: "Uhh... Hello?"


"Mark, this is me," John said. "I'm gonna need to shower at your place. And borrow a change of clothes. I got a date."


ooc://logging off for a bit.

 

[iGross]

(I'm smiling in real life because of your last bit.)


Natalie walked away, her heels clicking loudly as she hurried to her large office building. You've done it Nat, you really did it. She thought back to her last date, tilting her head a bit. It had been a year or two, she remembered.


Upon reaching her office she bombarded her best friend and coworker Marsha with questions as she changed her shirt. "What should I wear?" She paused, "is this a date?" She inwardly groaned. This is going to be a long day.





All that morning, her fingers found their way to her phone. She found herself consciously and continuously check the time, sighing in defeat as the hours seemed to drone on. She got off at three, she kept repeating. Natalie had no idea what to wear, and if it even meant anything that they were grabbing coffee.

 

[sadhillock]

Monday, 4:45 pm





John rubbed the last bit of wetness from his short brown hair with a towel, then dropped it to the floor of the bathroom. He opened a bottle of Mark's aftershave and put his nose to it. "Ugh, Mark. What the hell is this?"


"Class," his friend said, handing him a blue button-down shirt. "You should get some."


"Very funny," responded John, opting for a few puffs of baby powder on his neck instead. "It's easy for you to say, being born into wealth." He buttoned the shirt up to the second to the last hole and looked at himself in the mirror. Clean and shaven, he actually passed off for a decent human being.


Mark frowned. "Wealth? I live in a one bedroom apartment in crack-town, you knucklehead." The other man was visibly upset, but as John turned towards him, wearing one of his signature goofy grins, the other softened. "You look alright, I suppose. Who'd you score a date with?"


"A lady named Natalie," John responded, stepping out of the bathroom and grabbing a pair of tan loafers. He slipped them on over his holey socks and began to thread a belt through the loops in his pants. "I met her at the park this morning."


"As a clown?" Mark asked, laughing. "Either your game's gotten a lot better or that chick has got some weird fetishes."


"Just shut up and let me borrow your phone," John said over Mark's laughter. He dialed Natalie's number quickly--he'd already memorized it--and waited patiently as it rang.

 

[iGross]

Monday, 4:50





Natalie hurriedly answered her phone, "Hello?" She was panting a bit. She had run from her bathroom to the living room of her small apartment in a matter of seconds. She fretted over herself in the mirror, running her fingers through her naturally curly hair. Natalie let out a soft frown, looking at the simple blue high low sun dress she adorned. Her face was flustered, am I wearing too much? She shook her head, pulling her bag over her shoulder and slipping on a pair of black laced flats. "I'm about to head out." She smiled, despite herself.

 

[sadhillock]

One ring... two rings... three rings... Maybe she isn't interested anymore, he thought to himself. Just as he was about to hang the phone up and hand it back over to Mark he heard her breathy answer on the other end. He beamed. "Hey," he said, trying too hard to sound casual. "Alright, I'll meet you there at 5. Bye." He hung up the phone and handed it back to Mark, who was giving him a look one might give a child at the special olympics.


"That was pathetic," Mark said plainly. He paused when he saw John sigh and hang his head.


"I just didn't really know what to say. It's been a while, ya know?"


"Just be yourself," Mark said, grabbing his friend by the shoulder and pushing him towards the door. "Come back later tonight and tell me about it. I'll buy a case of beer."


John smiled. "Thanks," he responded softly. He was so nervous he could hardly talk. "I"ll see you in a bit." And with that, he headed towards the cafe.

 

[iGross]

Outside of Frieda's


5:05 pm


Natalie put her phone in her bag with a small thud and hurried down her apartment steps. She walked fast, occasionally stopping to smell herself. Why am I sweating so much? She shook her head. It was just a simple coffee, not a date. She rubbed the back of her neck, laughing to herself. People looked at her like a weirdo and she blushed.


Natalie stood outside Frieda's, her arms folded in front of her body as she waited for John. Maybe he changed his mind and forgot to call.. She shook her head again, pressing her hand to her forehead and letting out a soft sigh. Her dress fluttered in the wind, along with her hair. She didn't bother to fix it, but did hold her dress down. Natalie shifted uncomfortably.

 

[sadhillock]

John's feet slapped loudly on the pavement as he ran to Frieda's; the borrowed shoes were a few sizes too big and rubbed his ankles uncomfortably. He stopped half a block from the restaurant and paused to catch his breath, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Then, with all the confidence he could muster, he strutted towards the entrance where he saw Natalie.


I'm fashionably late, he thought to himself.


"Hello, beautiful," he said, beaming at her. He loved the asymmetrical cut of her dress, the delicate thongs of her sandals. "You look great." He extended his arm for her to take and opened the door with his free hand.


Once the door opened, the owner--Frieda of course--looked up from the book she was reading behind the counter. "John?" she asked, eyebrows raising in surprise, "I wasn't expecting you till Frid-" Her sentence was cut short when she saw Natalie with him. A girlish smile pushed back her plump cheeks and she scurried from behind the counter to welcome them.

 

[iGross]

Natalie blushed at his complement, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Hello~." She offered. Her brown eyes sparkling up at him. She hooked her arm with his, walking inside of the small shop.


Natalie tilted her head at the owner. She narrowed her eyes at the comment a bit, curious. "Hello." She smiled through pink lips, "I'm Natalie. I love your coffee." She giggled a little, swaying her hips as she walked. The dress swayed against her legs, occasionally hitting Johns leg. The twenty year old was happy, for the first time in a while.

 

[sadhillock]

Frieda quickly ushered them to a table, a little two top by the front window. Some would say it was the best seat in the house, but for an establishment so small, there weren't so many to choose from. John walked to one of the chairs and slid it back for Natalie, waiting for her to sit before taking his own seat across from her.


He clasped his hands in front of him and rested them lightly on the table. For a moment, he was lost. All fear and insecurity he felt before seeing Natalie again vanished from his mind. The relentless worry of where the next meal would come from, how he could make a few more dollars, where he might sleep tonight... All of those thoughts were gone with the swish of her dress. He felt confident again. He felt like a man. Now he just had to remember how to act like a proper one.


"So how was work?" he asked her, as Frieda placed two small cardboard menus in front of each of them.

 

[iGross]

"It was really good. Boring, but good." She smiled, pushing her dress against her legs as she sat down. Natalie crossed her legs, smiling again as she bit her lip some. Her hair fell into her eyes as she leaned on her hand.


"How was your day?" She questioned as she studied the menu. She already knew what she wouldn't. Am I paying? Should I just order a coffee? She tried to shake the thoughts from her head, letting a soft sigh escape her lips. Natalie tilted her head, "what do you want to get?" She blinked, watching the man before her.

 

[sadhillock]

ooc:// I posted in the ooc chat tab. Don't know if we get notifications for that or not.


"Oh, slow for the most part," John responded with a slight shrug. "The mornings are usually my busiest time on Mondays." His gaze turned towards Frieda, who awkwardly enough was still standing there, just beaming at the both of them.


"Uh... Frieda? Can I just get my regular?"


The woman frowned at him. "A tuna salad sandwich? On a date?" Her eyes rolled. "You have to do better than that, dear. Order whatever you want," her eyes moved to Natalie, "Both of you. It's on the house." Her plump hand patted John's shoulder briskly. "I'm just glad to see you enjoying yourself," the woman bent forward and her voice lowered ever so slightly, "and in such lovely company, too!"


John's cheeks and ears turned a bright red. He felt like his face was on fire. Frieda had always 'mothered' him, in a way, but this was just flat-out embarrassing. "All right, I'll have the sandwich... And a coffee." He grinned. He was a man of simple tastes.

 

[iGross]

(I replied)


Natalie just barely heard the compliment, and looked away. Her cheeks were officially the brightest they have ever been. She bit her lip and smiled, "I'll have a salted caramel mocha and a scone. Thank you." She breathed, pushing her back as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Just breath, be yourself. Natalie studied John now, taking the curve of his jaw and shoulders. She allowed her eyes to return to his, smiling as she gracefully folded her menu back to its original position. "Atleast you had a good day. Mine was really busy." She frowned a bit, "But, that's because I'm the only who does anything in Monday's."

 

[sadhillock]

John leaned back in his chair and relaxed as Frieda walked off to put in their orders. "So what kind of office do you work in?" he asked, genuinely interested. "What do you do there?" His hands remained clasped on the table as he gazed at her; he was a picture of coolness and collection. Underneath the table, though, his feet bounced back and forth nervously. He'd never worked an office job, never even been asked to. It was easy enough to imagine what might go on in such a setting, based off of the numerous t.v. shows, but he was more interested in the truth of the matter.

 

[iGross]

"Well, it's pretty boring." Natalie admitted with a shrug. "You bury your face in your work and keep your head down." She laughed a little, pushing her hair off of her shoulder. "You just do what your told." She leaned across the table, adding dramatic effect. "And you keep the gossip in the bathroom." She winked before sitting back down, smiling happily as she did so.


Once Frieda returned with his coffee and her mocha, she offered a polite slight bow. Natalie smiled warmly, sipping her mocha, whipped cream getting on the tip of her nose.

 

[sadhillock]

John looked like someone just told him his favorite puppy died. "That sounds terrible," he said softly. "It sounds like a prison." He would know a little bit abut that. John wondered why anyone would confine themselves to such conditions, where creativity and free-thought it stifled. He had come to New York with a dollar and a dream, determined to make something of himself his own way. But, examining each of their positions in life now, he realized free will and a dream didn't amount to much.


He smiled at Frieda and curved his palm around the hot coffee mug. The smell of the roasted beans gave him a boost, exactly why he worked here on Fridays, even if it was just cleaning the floors and windows.


Suddenly, his other hand darted forward and a lean finger gently wiped the cream from her nose, then retracted. His lips parted as he put the digit in his mouth and sucked it clean, eyes locked on hers in a devilish grin. "You had something on your nose," he said softly.