18039/Happenstance at Cafe Lalo

Happenstance at Cafe Lalo
Date of Scene:	23 May 2024
Location:	Cafe Lalo
Synopsis:	It's not cute, but it is friendly. Simon meets Camille by standing up for her in line, and they end up eating lunch together.
Cast of Characters:	Camille Russo, Simon Williams

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Camille Russo has posed:
Camille is still in search of a favorite place to eat in the City. She's got a few contenders so far for something a little more upscale, and she's heard great things about the desserts at Cafe Lalo. The few times she's gone by before or after work they've been packed, but today she's off and hoping to have avoided the worst of the lunch crowd.

She's still getting used to the shorter curls bouncing around her face - her 'locs a casualty of the gamma radiation unleashed in the fight against the Wrecking Crew - but the tight spirals look good, especially when combined with the day's outfit. The wedge sandals make her a few inches taller, and the purple knit dress is vibrant against her skin. It's a good look, and as she enters the line she's relaxed and happy.

It doesn't take long for her ease to become annoyance though, as the chucklehead behind her goes from talking about her like she's meat - or deaf and dumb, maybe both - and advances to being outright rude. The brush of hand over her ass is the last straw, other patrons looking but not intervening. She slips her arm into the crook of the man in front of her. Taller, trim, looks like he does at least a little working out, and whispers into his ear. "Apologies for the presumption, but would you mind pretending to at least be a friend for a bit? I'm trying not to deck the idiot in line behind us."

Simon Williams has posed:
Does Wonder Man need food? No, not really. Does Wonder Man have to be on a vegan diet? No, not really. Does Wonder Man love the Mediterranean salad at Cafe Lalo? You better believe it, champ. Which is why Simon Williams, sporting his customary red shades, some casual slacks, and a light blue button-up. He looks like he's just out for a casual day on the town himself. He's not so focused on his impending salad however that he might fail to notice the sounds and voices around him. He glances up from his phone in order to spare a brief glance toward his shoulder and the people in line behind him.

He frowns slightly before his attention turns ahead anew. As one patron seems to seek refuge in the company of another, all in the interest of avoiding a third patron? Simon's attention turns back to consider the line of people stretching out from behind his place at the counter. It's toward the counter and the one destined to take his order for his salad that Wonder Man considers, "Hey, sorry, one sec, okay?"

Whether or not his place is effectively held by the one operating the counter and the register; Simon slips away from his spot at the head of the line. He moves the few steps down the line until he stands aside the two patrons currently in closer proximity to one another. Then his shades shift to the man behind them. The one who had began making rude comments for the entirety of the cafe to hear. It's this man that Simon singles out with a red lensed stare and a light, casual remark, "Hey, buddy, mind your business. She's minding her business. Leave the lady alone, alright?" Simon's being polite about it. Because Simon's a polite person, of course.

Camille Russo has posed:
As she's already on high alert from the guy behind her, watching someone leave their spot in line has Camille's full attention. The man she's stopped next to has dropped her arm, taking the opportunity to advance in line, and she's turned her face just enough to recognize the red shades. Oh. Oh goodness, that's... Simon Williams, in the flesh. She's seen some of his work, both on screen and in the hero gig, and she's a fan of both. Not weirdly obsessive, but she takes the effort to catch his films in theatre where she can, and owns a few of her favorites.

The words the creep say aren't fit for most crowds, and certainly not for the Cafe's patrons. Camille allows the insults towards herself to roll off her back. She was happy to be a bitch by refusing to engage, her attire was fine, and there were a lot worse things to do than white knighting a little if Mr. Williams was trying to get laid. Namely the shitty talk, insults, and unwanted touching that guy had led with.

She considers saying all of that, but decides to just watch instead, stepping behind Simon and leveling the man that had been hassling her with an unimpressed glare. Once he finally stomps out of the line and out the door, she decides to tap Simon's elbow. "Would you consider lunch as a thank you, personal hero?"

Simon Williams has posed:
The man may stomp his way out of the line and through the door, but Simon keeps watching after him. It's not entirely uncommon for the hot-headed to storm out and then return after a few moments when their anger boils up and over. Simon watches on and despite the tap at his elbow, his red tinted shades do not drift away from their observation. Enough time passes by and the line even shuffles forward another two or three steps. Finally Simon's attention turns away and back toward the woman only recently hassled by the guy that had only left moments ago.

The offer of lunch earns a glance, a raised brow from behind the shades, and then a winning smile that presents itself for the benefit of his viewers. Whether that's the woman that he's speaking with now or any of those firing off little glances his way. For the moment everyone maintains their cool and calm.

Finally a shrug and Simon seems to give in. "I'll buy, you keep me company in line. We have lunch, talk a bit, forget about the unpleasantness, and then go on with our day?" It's all spoken smoothly but quickly, clearly intended to forge plans on the fly.

Camille Russo has posed:
"I should be paying, since you were the one bein nice, Mr. Williams." Camille doesn't hide the fact that she's aware of who he is as she gives him a slow, pleased smile, but she keeps it friendly-professional. "I'll let you twist my arm about it. This time. Lunch and a chat sounds real lovely. M'name's Camille, and you're welcome to use it." It'll probably sound lovely coming from his smooth voice.

The Louisiana twang to her voice is light but noticeable as she talks, face open and animated as they fall back into line. "I enjoyed your work in that film last year. You really brought out some nuance in the role, despite the limitation of the script. The rest of the cast did pretty well too, but I'm not sure what was going on in the costumes. Those wig lines were a mess." The ladies at her hair salon in DC had laughed for weeks over it, wondering if they should pitch themselves for behind the scenes work next time something was being filmed in the area.

Simon Williams has posed:
The name drop results in a brief glance to the side, as though Simon was presently waiting for others to suddenly work up the urge to approach now that it's been put out in the open. He exhales a breath, his cheeks ballooning with the expulsion. A clearing of his throat later and Simon begins to shuffle forward, narrowing the gap between himself and the person ahead of himself. No good deed goes unpunished, of course. Simon's place at the head of the line was quickly overtaken. He doesn't seem as though he's about to make a big stink over it.

"I don't mind covering it. Consider it a jerk tax. Somebody's got to pay it eventually," the actor remarks with a lopsided, relaxed smile.

The offer of a name results in Simon shifting, angling his body and turning his feet so that he may better face Camille. He extends a hand toward Camille in offer and his smile returns before he answers the introduction, "A pleasure, Camille. Call me Simon". Then his attention turns ahead anew and Simon's hands slip into each of his pockets. There he stands, waiting his turn. The smalltalk carries on however.

Another glance is cast toward Camille as she speaks of one of his recent pictures and the laughter that erupts from him seems to be quite genuine. He nods along with her remarks, as though he's in total agreement with her, "It's a team effort all around, but every team is built on individual components. I remember the hairdresser in fact. He was pretty young and new to the business. His nervousness was almost palpable," Simon explains at length. If there's any animosity toward the mystery hairdresser; Simon doesn't seem to show the slightest inkling of it, "I'm sure the next film he's on will be better. The one after that will be better than the last. It's like a muscle. The more it's used, the stronger it gets."

Camille Russo has posed:
"Someone newer to wigs makes perfect sense," she says agreeably. "I know my own early attempts were awful, but they're a very useful tool to have available. I'm sure someone will take him under wing and teach him the tricks to making them appear more natural." Simon seems like an imminently agreeable man, Camille thinks, but she wonders how much of that is a necessary public persona and how much is genuine. Still. Simon. She rolls the name around in her mind, and thinks it'll roll nicely off the tongue.

Her hand wraps around his, warm with a quick, semi-firm squeeze, and then retracts. "Simon, then. The pleasure is certainly mine." She resists giving him a wink, but the emotions are genuine on her end. This is the most interesting meeting she's had this week, including a mission with Captain Rogers himself. Of course, during missions her mind isn't on pleasantries, just on finishing the job as cleanly as possible, so it might be an unfair comparison.

"Do you have a favorite dish here? Everything sounds pretty good to me, but I'm leaning towards the souffle, I think. It's always so busy in the evenings when I pass by that I haven't dropped in yet."

Simon Williams has posed:
Simon offers a nod in answer to the mystery hairdresser's future. The shake of hands is engaged, then disengaged with ease. Soon enough the pair are shuffling forward. Every minute or two, they take a step forward. The question of favored dishes earns a bright smile and a glance aside to regard Camille, before Simon offers an answer without any thought necessary, "I really enjoy the Mediterranean Salad. I'm a vegetarian for cholesterol reasons," he explains simply and directly.

A lift of the chin directs eyes toward the counter, as though that order counter is the beating heart of Cafe Lalo and Simon's acknowledging it, "I tend to come in here two or three times a week, if I'm able. I live nearby so it's convenient," he explains. Though the mention of the souffle does earn a slight frown, clearly pondering the topic of it and finally arriving at his answer, "I've not tried it for obvious reasons. Consider me interested in hearing your thoughts about it though, yeah?" The smile returns and it's directed aside, toward Camille. While he may not be able to indulge in particular things, it seems that Simon Williams isn't the sort of insist that others follow his particular lifestyle choices.

Camille Russo has posed:
"I learn somethin new every day," Cam teases gently. "Would you like to try a bite of it? Spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese... probably not terrible for you. I'll give you my opinion too of course, I have a whole lot of them just waiting to appear." She wasn't sure if the information would be relevant outside this meeting, but she tucked it away just in case, wondering how to modify some of her own recipes for a vegetarian diet.

"There's a little brunch place in Chelsea that does decent Cajun food, and they've got a vegan collard dish that tastes even better than what my Granny made as a child. First time I had them I told the waiter I was gonna marry the chef for the recipe." She sighs wistfully. "I was teasin, but Miss Rhonda's a damn fine cook. Married though, and her husband's a hoot. I cain't be a homewrecker to such a lovely couple over some greens."

Simon Williams has posed:
"Aahh, you had me up until goat cheese," Simon answers with a playful smile and a light shake of his head from side to side. "I'd love to hear what you think of it though. Maybe it'll come up some day if a friend asks for a recommendation. You never know!" Simon's attention turns ahead again, but it's obviously his attention's directed aside toward his counterpart. A glance toward Camille concludes with a soft nod at the mention of a Cajun placed over in Chelsea.

The story earns a smile though. No laughter, but there is a genuine smile that overtakes the features of Simon Williams. He idly lifts a hand to adjust his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose with the upward press of an index finger, which only serves to further conceal the bright red glow of his eyes. "Those must be some greens if you were ready to get married over them," Simon answers with a chuckle. He steps forward again. There is only one more person ahead of themselves. They've nearly reached the finish line. It's back to Camille that Simon's attention goes as their conversation carries on, "I imagine they've got a vegetarian option? Most greens I've ever encountered had bacon or some other ham product in it."

Camille Russo has posed:
"Oh no, their cooked vegetables are all vegetarian or vegan. The steamed broccoli usually comes with some garlic butter but the spinach and collards are fully vegan. The sweet potato casserole could almost be a dessert. Mashed with some cinnamon butter, little pecan streusel and brown sugar over the top. It's not overly sweet, but it hits that sweet craving real nice."

They're finally to the front of the line, so Camille stops talking about the other restaurant and focuses on the menu, confidently ordering the spinach and goat cheese souffle and one of their fruit teas after a quick glance at the board, then steps to the side for Simon to order. The sunglasses intrigue her, but it's not her business to ask, and she's trying not to fall on the rude side of nosy.