Room 503 + Beyond, Monday Evening

[withoutverona]

After work -- and the shop really couldn't close too soon for his tastes -- Romeo made a quick stop at Taste of Thai for takeout, then dashed back to his room. He neatened things, just because he liked to live in hope, before going up to the roof and arranging a picnic blanket, iPod and speakers, and the food.

And then there was nothing to do but dress himself (dress shirt, suit jacket, no tie, and he actually brushed his hair so it would stay out of his eyes) and collect his lady.

He drew a deep breath as he tapped on the door of 503.

[OOC: For the girl. Note, the roof is a public space but Romeo will oh-so-cleverly put a sign on the door when he and Dojima get there.]

Comments

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Think you're going to stay here for a bit after graduation and work at the shop?" she asked, glancing at him quickly out of the corner of her eye. "If you're the manager, you do get to set your own schedule, right?"

[withoutverona]

"I do, and without classes I'd have nothing else to do," Romeo said. "I might stay for a bit. I wouldn't want to just abandon the shop to Jenny."

It was, of course, all about that.

"Do you think you'll stay, or will you need to get to work?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"They aren't expecting me until August," Yurika replied cheerfully. "Even if I went back right after graduation, I'd need to find an apartment and everything before I could start work, and the housing market in Tokyo can be brutal."

"And with my hours, there's no way I'm living with my parents." Not that she would anyway, but Yurika figured that Romeo knew that. "I'm trying to think of it as a challenge; find something liveable, that I can afford on my salary, and only use the credit cards for the extravagances that annoy my father to no end."

[withoutverona]

Romeo eyed her carefully. "Would you think about getting a roommate?" he asked. "Someone you work with, maybe."

He wouldn't be so bold as to suggest himself just yet.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She laughed and shook her head. "And have someone I work with know when I'm home and when I'm not? That makes coming into work late a bit harder when you've got a live-in alarm clock." Not to mention the whole alibi-thing, and spying on her coworkers, and...

"Besides, they'd have to get along with the cat."

[withoutverona]

"So if you had a housemate, it would have to be someone who knew your secrets," Romeo agreed. "And who Alea liked."

He went to start to open the containers of food. "Where might you find such a person?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Oooo... is that Thai? It smells fantastic," she asked, leaning over to peek as she deliberately ignored that last comment. "Besides, apartments in Japan are small. I'd probably drive any roommate up the wall with my strange hours and the sheer number of take-out containers."

"Which will be charged to my father's accounts." The grin Yurika shot him was positively impish as she grabbed a noodle from the container he was opening and dropped it into her mouth. "We can't have them thinking I'm too competent, after all."

[withoutverona]

"Of course not, and you couldn't live on instant noodles," Romeo returned. "It's not good for a girl."

He poked at a bit of chicken. "I'm not sure where I'd live, in Verona. My family builds things, so there's hardly a shortage of new space. Or I might go back to my father's house."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I like your father, but you'd be miserable after a week of haunting the halls," Yurika replied, picking up a container with shrimps. Nummy. "If you go back, get your own place. Somewhere close enough you can go visit Ben and Rosaline easily, but where you can also have your own space."

"And there's nothing wrong with instant noodles, thank you. They just get boring after awhile."

[withoutverona]

"You like my father?" Romeo echoed, genuinely surprised. "But aye, you're most likely right. I just hate the idea of living alone. I never have, you know. I might make a mess of it."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Is that so shocking?" she laughed, digging into the food. "That I like him? I do. I like all of your family that I've met so far."

"And neither have I, you know. Lived alone I mean. Even when my parents were gone on long business trips, there was always the house staff to keep me company and take care of me. Just watch, I'll be calling Rikku in a week because I'll have broken the toaster, and I need her to come fix it for me."

[withoutverona]

Romeo took a delicate bite of a spring roll before answering. "Not shocking, but I always think him rather intimidating. He is a good man, though, or tries to be, by his code." he gave her a tiny smile. "I'm glad you like the Montagues."

"And I fear I'll just be on my cell phone constantly asking different people about this and that, or because I miss them." That last bit was directed at her.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika shook her head and smiled. "Intimidating doesn't bother me," she replied. She worked for Father Juliano, after all. "I like it when someone knows what they want, and aren't afraid to be assertive in getting it."

Which could be applied to any of the Montague boys, really, but the one she was dining with had a particular reputation for boldness that Yurika enjoyed.

She paused, blinking as something occurred to her. "I wonder what the timezone difference is between worlds. Wow. That's going to make my mobile plan a headache."

[withoutverona]

"You know I'd pick up my phone for you whatever time it was," Romeo said. "I'll turn the ringer extra loud."

He finished the spring roll with gusto. "I'm glad we'll have at least part of the summer." And beyond that, if he had anything to say about it, but, for once, Romeo was determined not to grab too hard and lose something.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"That's the joy of having different ringtones for different people," she agreed. "You can chose if you want to pick-up without even looking at the caller ID!"

"I still have to find a job or a TA gig or something if I want to stay, otherwise they won't let me hang around, but I've got plenty of time." Yurika leaned over to steal a spring roll before he could eat them all. "It's barely even March!"

[withoutverona]

"It's barely March," he agreed, stealing some chicken but letting her have the spring rolls. He was inclined to say it was already March, and after March came April and then May and graduation, but right then it was a warm evening and she wasn't acting like she hated him.

He leaned back on his hands, staring down off the building. "What would you rather do? Work, or be a TA?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Being a TA seems easier," she mused, licking some of the spring roll dipping-sauce from her fingers, "and it would give me more free time."

"I miss Aly-sensei's classes. I could talk to Garrett-sensei, or even Robin-san if she teaches again, but otherwise I'm doomed to trying to find a shop to hire me just for the summer."

[withoutverona]

"You do," Romeo pointed out with a grin that wasn't as casual as it looked, "have rather an in with one of the managers, if no one will take you on as a TA."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika laughed and leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand to give him a lovely view of her cleavage. "You're not worried about any claims of favoritism or impropriety?" she purred, eyes dancing.

[withoutverona]

It took effort for Romeo to keep his eyes on her face, and he swallowed distinctly. "If any dared complain, I'd say I hired the way Ms. Bell did, and took the prettiest applicant."

He reached out for the rice, letting his fingers brush her knee along the way.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She didn't acknowledge the touch beyond a slight smile as she reached for her drink. "Then it's to my advantage that I'm pretty and you have a weakness for blondes," she said cheerily. "Although I don't know that I'd be much good at it. I'd probably try on the clothes all day, and ignore the customers."

[withoutverona]

"You could be a living model," Romeo answered cheerily. "And we don't get so many customers that your doing that would likely be a problem. I spend half my shifts writing."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should hire more pretty girls, to be your living models. It might encourage sales in the male demographic," Yurika teased, smiling to take any sting out of the words. "But then I guess you wouldn't get as much writing done."

[withoutverona]

"You don't think it would encourage sales for girls as well?" Romeo asked. "Though of course my scribbling is the crucial thing."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Depends. Is the girl going to be insecure that the shop girl is prettier than she is?" Yurika mused. "Women can be fickle."