4230/Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Date of Scene:	27 November 2020
Location:	1-35A - Acama Apartment
Synopsis:	Peter gets invited to the Acama household to meet Yaretzi...and Josefina.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Yaretzi Acama

---

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter stepped out of the subway station and looked around.
He usually didn't come down here "out of uniform," but you never know who might be watching at 5 PM.

Peter had gotten the invite from Yaretzi a couple of days ago and Aunt May had looked a little TOO pleased that he was going to go to a girl's apartment. Even the reasoning "They wanted to thank me for returning the phone" couldn't erase that smirk.
Ah, that old familiar feeling when a woman was at least four steps ahead of him. He should be used to it by now.
He found the apartment building, but he felt more than a few eyes on him. He couldn't fault it, being an unfamiliar face as well as a "gringo."

At least the elevator worked.
Peter checked himself. Clean clothes, flowers, and one of Aunt May's apple pies for the family. He had read that bringing gifts was a good way of getting acquainted...

He found the door, then knocked lightly with one hand.

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi got home from school straight away, with no homework needing to be done and caught up enough on her studies that she decided she'd have some leftover Thanksgiving turkey and mashed potatoes and sit down in her room to play games on her console. She'd just started a game when her mom knocked on the frame of her door, which'd been left open. "Oh, honey, we're having a guest for dinner tonight... and you're already eating! Well, you'd better leave some room for more!", Mom added before walking away... without even given the teenager a chance to ask -who- was coming.

Later, the dishes from her home-from-school snackage in the sink, Yaretzi's sat herself on the couch in the living room to watch something on Netflix -- having completely forgotten about her mom's words about a guest coming over. That, of course, is when there's a knock on the door. "Go get the door, mija?", calls Mom from the dining room, where she's setting places at the table.

With a sigh at being interrupted before the host has even introduced the knife to be forged on the show she's just started, Yaretzi pauses and goes over to pull open the door... to see the last person she could've expected to show up there. "Oh, hey! Peter! What're you doin... ah, mierda! (which gets a call of "Language!" from the direction of the kitchen) I forgot mom told me we were having a guest for dinner, tonight! I didn't know it was you!", she adds as she pulls the door fully open and steps back to make room for him to come in.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks, and smiles out of reflex. "Uhm, hi, Yaretzi!" He reaches to shake her hand and realizes he is holding out the hand with the flowers. Roses, because he couldn't think of anything else. "Uhm, here, I wanted to bring you something. And, uhm..."
He holds out the left hand, which is currently carrying a pastry shop bag. "Something for you and your family. One of my Aunt May's prize-winning apple pies."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi suddenly has roses being offered to her. She's clearly surprised, eyes wide and blinking a few times before she can even start to react. "Uhm... wow! Thanks!", she says, taking first the flowers, her cheeks reddening visibly on her 'almost a gringa' skintone, then the pastry bag with her other hand. "Uhm... c'mon in!", she says, using her foot to shove the door closed behind Peter after he's fully inside.

"Uhm... have a seat", she adds, with a nod at the couch, in front of which the flat-screen TV has an episode of 'Forged in Fire' paused on it. "I'll... uhm... take care of these things..."

With that said, she heads for kitchen area, where another female voice (her mother, obviously), speaks in Spanish excitedly, someing about the flowers probably. There's the sound of water being run, shortly, then Yaretzi walks back out into the living room with the roses in a vase, which she sets on a little table that's next to a recliner.

"My mom thinks you're sweet to bring me flowers...", she says, embarassedly.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter's face reddens slightly. "Uhm...yeah, I asked a good friend about it. He told me I couldn't go wrong with flowers. He also suggested something for the family, so..." He smiles his trademark hangdog smile. "I hope your family enjoys it."

*Harry, dangit...* he admonishes his not-present best friend, and SWEARS he could hear him cackling.

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
"My mom hasn't made apple pie in a while. She always makes pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and I like apple better, so I -know- at least someone's gonna like it a lot", she says as she sits into the recliner next to the vased flowers. "It smells good, too. Your aunt made it herself?", she asks, probably trying to get the conversation away from the flowers.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, but doesn't move to sit just yet. "Uhm, yeah. Her recipe actually won an award from the New York Chamber of Commerce for Best Pastry in New York in 2016. She keeps the award in her kitchen, above the stove." Peter smirks. "I am told that my boss as KordCo uses them during negotiation meetings."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
"She won a prize for it! Wow!", Yaretzi says, then turns to call out in the direction of the kitchen and dining room to call out, "Mami! His tia made the pie, and she won an award for the recipe! It's famous apple pie!"

"Okay, okay, mija! I'll put it on the table, too. Mantenece la calma!", her mother calls back, to a big grin from the teenager.

"Uhm... I hope you don't mind turkey-day leftovers. I know I love having them for the next few days after...", Yaretzi wonders aloud, keeping her voice low.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckled. "I think we're still in the 'Leftovers?' 'Yes!' phase." He says that with a broad smile. "Followed by (raised eyebrows) 'Leftovers?' (nods) 'Yes.' Which then comes (disbelief) 'Leftovers?' (sigh) 'Yes.' And finalized by (groan) 'LEFTOVERS??' (cross look) '...YES.'"

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi watches the show, and giggles. "I -never- get past the first phase, myself! I -love- turkey leftovers!", she says. "We hardly ever have turkey any other time of the year, so getting to eat it for a few days kinda feels special. I never get tired of it!", she exlains, happily. Then, she questions, "Did you and your tia have a good Thanksgiving? Lots of people over, or just you and her?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles wryly. "Well...me, Aunt May, and a couple of friends. Ned and Harry. Ned's family was stuck in Seattle. And Harry...well, his dad was pretty busy. Harry's probably my best friend in the whole world." He looks around, suddenly aware he is still standing. "Uhm, may I sit down? I don't want to take anyone's spot..."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi giggles and makes a 'sit down' gesture with one hand. "We don't have assigned spots, here. It's first-come, first-served", she says, about the couch and recliners. "I was kinda -wondering- why you were still standing!", she adds.

After a moment, she nods. "Harry's the rich friend whose games are in your basement?", she asks, her voice low -- clearly trying to not have that question overheard by her mom. Of course, that's right when her mom had walked up to stand behind the teen's recliner. "Dinner's on the table.... and when have you been in his basement, young lady?", she asks, though she's grinning as she says it -- clearly teasing her daughter with the question.

Yaretzi's suddenly-flushed cheeks show that her mom's teasing hit its target, too! "Mo-o-om!", she calls out.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods as he moves to sit down on the couch...

And then Yaretzi's mom announces dinner is ready, and he looks startled as he nearly jumps back up. "Uhm, it's just a lab!"

And then Stupid Mouth wakes up, and boldly answers the call to arms with, "I just do experiments down there."

Almost a full second passes before he realizes what he's said. *STUPID MOUTH!!*

Way to ruin the heroic image she might have of you, Peter Benjamin Parker. Does this act include pratfalls? It should include pratfalls...

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi's mom just laughs at the awkwardness, but in a way that says she actually doesn't have a problem with that her daughter's been in that basement; apparently she trusts the girl. "Oh, by the way, Zee, your dad's going to be home late, so it's just use three for dinner, after all", she says to her daughter.

"Oh", Yaretzi replies as she gets to her feet. "I guess you'll have to tell him everything later, so he can tease me then, too, huh, Mom?", she says, sticking her tongue out.

The elder of the two just grins, and holds out her hand to Peter. "I'm Josefina... or 'Josie' if you want to keep it short. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Peter, and thanks very much for returning my daughter's phone", she says, introducing herself and reiterating the reason for the dinner invitation, before adding, "... maybe, next time, you can bring your aunt with you?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter, flustered, nonetheless turns to Josefina and nods, taking a deep breath. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Acama. And it wasn't a big deal, really. It was just...the right thing to do, you know?"

His blush of shame begins to receded and he continues, "I'll let her know. I wouldn't want to put you out or seem entitled. I'm sure you and my Aunt would get along like gangbusters."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
"Oh, I hope so! It sounds like she's raised you to be a good young man, so she's probably a wonderful person in her own right. Do you think she'd mind if you shared her phone number with me before you leave, tonight?", Josefina asks.

"Oy! Mami! Stop trying to play matchmaker. You're embarassing us both, and we never even thought about that, neither!", she says, grabbing at her mother's arm to tug the woman away from Peter. "You trying to make the food get cold on us?", she adds.

That last bit works, getting Yarezti's mother to break from the conversation, finally, to head into the dining room. "I have lemonade, tea, and punch to drink. Any preference, Peter?", she asks as she heads into the kitchen momentarily.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter feels there is a lot going on, but just decides to go with it.

"Actually, if you could pour half tea, half lemonade? I'd like that a lot. Uhm, what are we having tonight? It smells good, but I can't place it..."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
"I told ya before", Yaretzi replies, as her mother heads off to pour drinks. "It's Thanksgiving, the sequel!", she adds, all smiles as she claims a seat for herself at the dinner table -- which is set with two plates, her's and Peter's on one side, her mother's on the other... with the 'head' of the table having been set, too, probably for the man of the house -- who's getting home late, as it was mentioned. Apparently, there -are- 'claimed spots' at the dining table, unlike the living room.