"Feels so gay, feels so bright, makes your day, makes your night. Pink is now the colour to which you gotta switch..." She's humming, half-singing to herself as she moves around the office, categorizing papers. She's dressed a little less Stevie Nicks today, wearing a ruffled white blouse with jeans and her usual pair of boots, a black string vest over the blouse. It is, clearly, what she thinks looks professional. Her hair is worn up, but it's straggling loose untidily in back, unnoticed by her, and in lieu of 'professional' makeup, she's opted for a little bit of lip gloss. It's bubblegum flavor and very light pink, almost unnoticeable.
     The phone rings; Audi snatches it up, doing her best to answer in an appropriate tone of voice. "Black Jack Davy's, Audi speaking, how may I help you?" She drops into a chair, picking up a pen and drawing the notepad closer as she bends her head over it. Absently, she begins to doodle while she talks. "Yes, I see. Well, delivery really has to go through on the twelfth; no, I realize, but..."
     The conversation continues, even as her eyes cross. The pen's tip moves lazily over the paper, sketching lace-trimmed hearts skewered by arrows. "We're a pub, sir. We can't extend times on delivery of beer. Why don't you..."
     She falls silent, listening to the litany of excuses pouring forth from the other end. Above the heart she absently shades in a name; Audi, in gilt lettering, ornately calligraphed. Gradually, the pen moves down to below the heart.

     The lunch crew is in and out, the kitchen is still banging and clanging with activity -- and the occasional Welsh exclamation or two. The waitresses -- you've met the whole crew by now, great girls all (and not all 'buxom' as the legends lead one to believe) -- come and go in the back. When they're on their breaks, some smoke out back, while others stop by to chat.
     Red-headed Alice -- as opposed to red-headed Beatrix, Melys, Gwynie, and Kati -- waves and smiles to you as she pops her head in the office. "Hallo," Alice whispers, "oh!" she says as she suddenly realizes you're on the phone. From here, she can see some of your doodles. "I'll be back," she whispers and slips out to grab a quick drag.
     Some moments later, Llew strolls through, hair in a dark red riot and towel over his shoulder. Like all other days, he's wearing jeans and a black tee shirt. No Black Jack Davy insignia. He leaves the advertising to the girls. They're better at it.
     He leans back, peeking in to see you on the phone, then turns back to pour a cup of coffee for himself -- it's morning for him. To be honest, there's more cream than there is coffee. It's just an excuse to drink cream, really.

     Alice receives a warm smile, though she's looking away again a moment later. "Yes, I understand your point of view," she tells the man on the other end sweetly and cordially, "but this is from our records the third time you've been late. If this is becoming a habit, we're just going to have to find another distributor. The Black Jack's got an excellent reputation for paying in full for our orders and always have had, so we rather expect consideration in turn, Mister Bryce. Now, tell you what."
     She turns in her chair, reaching for an invoice. "I've been going over our accounts with you and it looks like we've got pre-orders for monthly deliveries for the next three months, still. Here's what I'm going to do."
     One booted foot taps, and absently she sets the invoice down, picking up her pen and beginning to add elaboration to the name under the heart. "What I'm going to do is make note of the deliveries for the next three months, Mister Bryce, taking special note of what time things do or don't arrive, overall breakage in transit - yes, I know, sometimes some break when you get them from the factory and that will be kept in mind - and also how many crates go /missing/ in the next three months, Mister Bryce. What's that? I'm sorry, Mister Bryce, I can't call you Allan. Because much as I'd love to keep things friendly and informal, this is a business!" Her voice is just as cheerful, her smile just as sunny for it being unseen by the man on the other end. "And I wouldn't want to lose my job, I meet the nicest people working here. So I'll just be keeping track, and if things look good enough, maybe I can convince my boss not to change distributors. Okay?"
     You are walking in, and at first, she doesn't notice, her back still to you. "Okay," Audi tells the man on the other end serenely. "You do that. What? Oh, you don't need to send me anything. Really! Just make sure things improve over the next three months, and if the breakage and losses and lateness goes away... that's the only payment I need, Mister Bryce. And the only payment I can accept. Goodbye!" With a sigh, she carefully sinks the receiver back onto the handset, shaking her head. "Tsk!"

     "Well done," Llew eases out, his voice still a bit gravely from recent waking, "Let me know if he gives you any trouble. I come from a long line of opportunists and mercenaries; I have no trouble finding another distributor. And tell him the next time he offers you kick-backs, he can expect to find Davy's boot up his ass." There is a smirk at the rim of the mug as he leans against the doorway. "Things going alright today, apart from Mr. Bryce?"
     He isn't looking at your writing pad. He's looking at you and sipping at his coffee. Alice breezes back in: "Hey, boss..."
     "Hey, Alice. You coming in or heading out?"
     "Comin' in, or I will be in about an hour. Hallo, Audi. Sorry about interrupting your call..."
     Llew glances between the two of you as conversations tangent. He seems in no rush...

     There's a slight squeak at the sound of your voice; you startled her. Audi spins around in her seat, eyes wide as one hand goes to her chest and the other hand goes to the pad, convulsively jerking it towards her. "Oh, no trouble at all, really." Her cheeks go brilliantly pink and she picks up her pen, hastily crossing out what she'd been drawing with due violence. A Sharpie would be faster, but - whatever works. The paper is then yanked free of the pad and crumpled and tossed into her basket, and she folds her hands in her lap primly, looking up at you. "I can't tell him that! Threatening people could get me arrested, and I bet he'd file a complaint. He seems the type."
     Alice comes back in, and it's a godsend. She receives a wide smile from Audi. "Hi again Alice. It's quite okay, I was just dealing with the distributor from the North End. His shipment was late again today, and there were three cases of Guinness missing; I counted!"
     As if absently, she picks up the pen again and begins sketching a fluffy rabbit in a waistcoat. "Somebody said we're running low on the t-shirts. Where're they usually kept, I'll check them later?"

     You are a bit of a twitching rabbit, aren't you? Llew smiles a bit at the edge of his cup and nods. "You can transfer him to me next time if he gives you trouble." And he leaves it at that. "The shirts? The shirts are in shelves," he twists, then points to boxes ordered on shelves from floor to ceiling. "Looks like we're down a few boxes. Yeah," he is starting to wake up, "...if you could do a full inventory, that'd help. We haven't been keeping a real close watch on them this past six months. So, a full inventory, make sure the system's up to date, and then I'll show you how to print the report. I'd like to see which ones are selling better. We should start to focus that a bit more. That'd be great. I have to head up front," he notes, taking his last swallow of coffee. "I'll be back shortly. Let me know if you need anything, Audi," Llew offers.
     Alice is watching you blush and twitch and grab the tablet. She glances between the two of you, and then starts to smile a bit, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. "I'll be out at four, to help you close up for tea," she says to him as he turns to leave.
     As he heads out, she glances at him and then closes the door. "You're a good artist, but you're a lousy actress," Alice whispers. She crosses over to one of the guest chairs. "So... what's with the blushing? Have I missed something since lunch yesterday?"

     "I'd be glad to do a full inventory," Audi answers brightly. "I'll let you know if I need anything, sure. Good luck with the plebeian masses." She gives Llew a wide, suddenly shy smile, turning pink before she looks away. Covertly, though, she peeks to watch as he leaves, with a soundless little sigh once he's gone.
     There is a blink for the closing of the door and she looks up, going a bit pinker. "Actress? I - what do you mean?" She fumbles with her pen, making a little exclamation as she gets ink on her thumb. She licks it, then slowly begins rubbing the ink away. "You haven't missed anything, no. Why?"

     "Maybe I'm imaginin' it then. You know, the blushin', the sighin', nevermind," Alice makes a little wave of her hands, "I must be hung-over. I could swear you were crushin' on Llew. Not that I blame you," she grins at you. "He's foxy." Alice opens the door, glancing toward the bar to see if he's coming back. "But don't worry, since I'm imaginin' it, there's no reason for me to go around sayin' anythin' about it. Let me know if you need help with the shirts. I'm not on the tables tonight. Llew wanted me to run interference. I'm the Girl Friday of the evening." Someone has to take over when you're off-shift. He rotates the duties, which might explain why the paperwork was filed like it was.
     Llew does stroll back in, heading to the backroom, and then to the kitchen. A few moments later, he and Dewi are carrying out casks of Guinness, prepping for what is sure to be a ball-busting evening. "We've a cup match tonight. I expect it to be rowdy," he says to the general air. Or maybe he's talking to Dewi. Red-faced, obviously struggling with the weight more than Llew, Dewi only grunts: "Great!"
     Alice glances from Llew coming and going to you.

     If it's possible for her to blush any brighter, well, she'll be lighting up Picadilly for money. "Oh, no, I - um, no. I don't have a crush! I mean, I don't date. At all. He's just - he's cute, is all. And he's nice. And," she sighs, "you know." She shrugs sheepishly, looking up at Alice with a rueful smile, clearly embarrassed. "It's not a crush, though! He's just - nice. And out of my league even if I did date anyway."
     She stands up, stretching and then bouncing towards the shelves. "Interference? Okay. Well, right now I want to see how much of everything there is. The files were kind of confusing, so I've been trying to get them back in order - I was thinking of putting in sort of a signup sheet on each rack of shelves, so when people take things, they can just fill in a little box next to what they took with how many they took. That way we'll know exactly when to reorder; taking inventory'll become a much quicker process then. What do you think?"
     And then you come back in, and the pinkness in her cheeks comes back. "Oh, let me get the door." She scurries to hold it for Dewi, and deliberately isn't looking anywhere near you. Or Alice.

     "Diolch," Llew says with a slight grin. "You alright back there, Dewi?" Laughter edges his voice as he heads through the door with a Welsh-cursing Dewi following after. The boys head to the bar, Dewi barely making it. He sets the cask down heavily with a hefty exhale, while Llew not only holds his but then hefts it up on a shoulder to carry it to the taps.
     "Well, I'll agree with you that he's cute," Alice says lightly as you explain it away. "But he out of your league? I don't think so. He usually goes for the folksy, witchy, hippie chick types. His last girl was a bit of a poet, but he couldn't stand her friends. He's salt-of-the-earth, y' know? Not an Oxford type."
     Alice heads over to the shelves with the boxes of shirts. "I think it would be loads more helpful than what we have now. Rhodri had it down to a science, but I think Llew's had his hands full managing the place, he hasn't had the hands to really get it into shape back here yet. You came just in time, didn' y'?"
     The door opens, but it's not Llew. Sweating, Dewi heads back into the kitchen.

     She watches you from the doorway a bit wistfully, leaning against the frame. "He's so strong. He could lift me with one hand and not even notice." She blinks, looking over at Alice. "Oh, no, no, no. I couldn't date him, and besides, I'm not a hippie. Or a witch. Or - well - folksy. I'm just ... from London, that's all. Anyway, I don't date at all, I can't. And really. He's far out of my league. Really."
     She moves to the desk again, picking up the pad and making precise notes above, below and next to the waistcoated bunny. "Well, I'll see about drafting a form for it. I don't think I know Rhodri. I met Davydd, though. He's the one who offered me the job. I hope it lasts."
     The door opens, and immediately Audi's eyes go to it - but it's only Dewi. She looks briefly disappointed, and looks back to Alice. "Can you tell me where you've been finding the most things go missing, or run short, currently? And if there's any dissatisfactions on the job right now. I'll see if they can't be addressed."

     "Actually, the best person to talk to about dissatisfactions is Llew. We have a staff blog sort of thing, anyway, he does the reviews twice yearly and we get raises, typically, unless we've switched shifts too much or, you know, got caught coppin' off instead of working. Not that it's ever happened to me," Alice quickly insists.
     "Run short. Well, the girls' shirts, the mediums and larges tend to run out first, the baby-doll tees, especially the black ones. We have white, black and red typically. For the men, it's the large and extra large that we run out of first. We should count the baby-doll tees first, I think those'd be the most concernin'."
     She grins, "Oh, well, Rhodri. He's one of The Family, and I don't mean the mafia," she giggles at that. "He's one of the family that owns Davy's, same as Uncle Davydd, well, we all call him uncle. Llew's one of the family too. Rhodri's groomin' him to take over completely. Rhodri got married a while back, has a little boyo now so isn't up for workin' bar hours. Anyway, talk about dreamy. There's not a girl here who wasn't wanting to curl up on his lap! Myself included. Nearly made it too," Alice murmurs to herself.
     She heard what you said about Llew, though she's not making a case of it. Blithely, Alice grins. "Well, you know, he is available. And so what he's your boss," she whispers. "Rhodri and Davydd both poached from the staff when they were at the helm. Hell, Davydd still does. I hear he and Myfanwy got cozy in the bathroom the other night," Alice whispers the conspiracy with a dimpled smile. "...Course, I wasn't on shift, so," her hands lift. It could just be a rumor.
     "You worried it won't last? I wouldn't. They own nearly every traditional pub in town and in Cardiff. If it doesn't work out here, Davydd's good about keeping you in the family. Seems he likes y' or he wouldn't have hired y'. He'd have let Llew do it, yeah?"

     "Davydd is nice. A sweetie. But I don't know, he's a little, well, old for me. Or maybe I'm just young for him. Anyway, it wasn't anything like that." Audi pulls down a cardboard carton, letting it thump to the floor. She folds open the flaps and bends over it, looking into it with an intent frown. "No manifest on top - that's not good. I'll make a note so I won't forget."
     "Anyway," she continues as she heads back to the notepad, cheeks pink, "it's got nothing to do with him being my boss or not, though I've lost jobs that way before too - I just, well, I don't date. And he's out of my class, so there's no point in pretending - even if he asked, it'd just end soon enough. I keep boyfriends like I keep jobs." Not entirely true; one has to date to have a boyfriend. "So how long've you worked here?"
     She's pink again, or maybe still, her hair finally falling out of its clip. With a sigh, Audi unclips the clip entirely, beginning to grab up her hair and stuff it up until she can clip it securely again. "Am I even? Or does it look awful?"

     "Alright, suit yourself. But I think you'll be sorry if you don't. He's right there... being cute and single," Alice sighs theatrically. "Why don't you date? Tired of the carnival of losers?" Laughing, she rolls her eyes. "I have t' agree, to be honest. Really. Course, maybe I should stop looking for love in bars. Or love period," she guffaws at that like a proper Eliza Doolittle, then winks.
     "I've been here a long time. Three years. There are a few girls who've been here longer. It's a good place, the tips are good, and the men are good looking. It's a lot like family now. I'll probably stay a few more years at least. It's a good gig. They're pretty flexible. And you know, if you end up wanting to work at a different pub, you can just get transferred around. They're good about that."
     Alice sizes you up, looking this way and that. "Here, let me," she waves at you to turn around and she comes up. Instead of just tossing it up there with a clip, she fashions a nice pony tail using nothing but a clever knot using your hair. "There, that looks better."
     The door opens again. This time it is Llew. The stride is still the same waltzing, unhurried lope. He moves with an economy of energy. He glances to you both, taking in the status of the work, and then does a quick double-take at the transformation of the bohemian gypsy office manager into a ...well... a girl. Llew gives a sideways smile. "It's a right mess back here," he eases out, pouring another cup of coffee. "And it's all my fault, I'm afraid."

     "Oh, I just - I don't date, that's all. It's a personal thing." Audi smiles weakly, looking down at the boxes. "It doesn't mean I don't look, but - it's a lot like window shopping. I haven't any money to buy anyway, so I can enjoy looking without having to go in and make a purchase. But I can't help thinking about it - it's like that cute pair of shoes in the fashion magazine. Plus you know the best you'll ever do is the third-generation knock-off pair at the thrift shop! Like movie stars. How would I ever meet a movie star? Why would a movie star be interested in me? Not that Llew's a movie star, but it's the same principle."
     Audi straightens up, moving back to the desk and sitting in front of the computer, snapping on the monitor and clicking the mouse to open a program. "Anyway, even if I were going to date, which I'm not - I don't know but that what I'd want doesn't even exist. Why settle for nine to five or three to eleven or whatever when you could have something outside all that? Knights in shining armour and princes in velvet livery and fairy tale nonsense. Which you can't have, of course, but wouldn't it be nice if you could?"
     Some people just don't grow up, clearly. She blinks as Alice comes over, obediently holding still. "Oh, thanks. I'm awful with my hair. I should just clip it short and have it over with. I-" She blinks. The door is opening. And it's you. Audi goes rather pink, yanking her gaze back to the computer monitor. "Oh, it's not that bad! I'm just working on a new system to help keep it organized is all, and Alice saw my hair getting away from me so she helped. I'm creating some sign-out sheets for the things on the shelves," she adds hurriedly, "and then when people take things they'll just have to mark how many they take, and at the end of a week or a month or whatever we can see how many've gone and get a baseline for how fast it flies out the door. Then we can also reorder when we know we're getting low faster, since we won't have to count what's there - only subtract how many've been signed out from how many we started with."
     It beats admitting to talking about boys - or fairy tales.

     A sip of coffee, a brief consideration, and then Llew nods once. "Sounds good. We really need to get a handle on it. And now that you're here, I can stop tossing the job around to whatever free hands we have at the moment. The girls have done their best, but you know, they are running around like crazy as it is." He crosses over to take a seat in the guest chair.
     "Do you need me to start the lock up for tea?" Alice offers.
     Leaning back in his chair and twisting to look at the clock, Llew blows out an exhale, "Not quite yet. Dani's working on wrapping up the last couple of checks. Let's give 'em another ten minutes." He turns back around, grey-green eyes lighting on Audi. "Did you know your name means: I have heard? It's Latin." Llew sips at the coffee. Needs more cream. Definitely more sugar.
     Alice glances between the two of you and biting her lower lip to hold in a grin, prances out of the office. "I need to go get changed for my shift. I'll be back to help with the shirts, just a jiff, Audi."
     "Thanks for taking charge," he notes quietly, giving his coffee a stir with the blue plastic straw. "That's what's needed back here. You're doing a great job, you know. Well, maybe you don't," Llew grins slightly, eyebrows lifting, "... so I'm here to tell you."

     You come in and sit down, and the pinkness remains; how often do you get to see her a normal colour these days? "I'm happy to help, really. And besides, it isn't as if you're just doing me a favor; you're paying me for it. Though I suppose you could say you're doing me a favor by letting me have the job, but since you say you need me to do the job, well, there aren't really any favors involved, are there? So you don't need to thank me... I'm just doing my job." She types several lines vigorously, gaze locked onto the computer's screen.
     It's not as if she's wiggling out of her skin. But the blush is there, and she crosses her ankles tightly as if in lieu of crossing her fingers or to keep from squirming about. "Well, um, it's not my name," Audi answers self-consciously, still refusing to look at you as she types. She looks down, then back up - anywhere but at you, though she does glance at you sidelong briefly. "It's ... just what my brothers and sisters all called me growing up. I'm the oldest, and they couldn't pronounce Audrey properly, so ... it became Audi, and it just - stuck. But - no, I didn't know." She looks to Alice with something in between relief and panic - relief at the distraction, followed by nooo, don't go!. "Oh, um. It's okay. I'll be right here."
     And then you are thanking her and the panic seems if anything a little more incipient. "Um. Well. Thank you. I do try to do a good job, really. It's important to me." She taps the spacebar a few times more than she'd intended; quickly, she stands up, crossing to the shelves again and dragging out the boxes of t-shirts. "I was thinking of checking up on vendors to make sure we're getting good prices. I'm an unfamiliar voice, so I can call and get quotes and compare the quotes to what we're paying now, you know. And if what they quote us is too far off what we already pay, we can ask for a lower price or go to another vendor. What do you think?"

     "Audrey," Llew says that. "Do you mind if I call you Audrey? Or is it too formal?" He takes a swallow of coffee, sucking on his lower lip until the last residue of wakefulness is gone. "I like that. Suits you. Well then," he chuckles, "...it should. It's your name. As for thanking you? What sort of person would I be if I didn't recognize good work and effort? Even though I didn't hire you, I am asking you to do things for me. Least I can do is thank you for it."
     He folds one leg against the other, ankle against his knee. He uses his thigh to prop up and balance his mug of coffee. "Wouldn't be a bad idea. We have pretty good relationships with everyone, but it's not a bad idea to keep everyone honest. Let me know what you find out. It's not a huge priority, but it's a good idea, even though we're not hemorrhaging money. I think getting the shirt inventory sorted out and getting those orders in should be done first. Then the bid research."
     "Would you like some coffee?" Llew offers suddenly. "Actually, it's tea time now. Care to join me for some tea and the usual sandwiches?" He rises slowly -- again it is an economy of motion, nothing wasted, an unhurried energy that he exudes. "I need to lock up. I'll be right back."
     Setting his cup aside on your desk, Llew wanders back to the main room and then through the door to the bar proper. Alice must have been waiting for him to depart because she's suddenly appearing, in her indigo jeans and her Black Jack Davy's tee shirt (black and red -- a saucy wench tee). "Is he locking up?"

     "Oh, um. You can if you like." Audi seems flustered by the request, and a bit surprised; pink-cheeked, she bends down to peer into the boxes, counting sizes. "Four, five... I can't promise I'll answer, though. I'm just used to Audi by now. It's been years and years and years since anyone called me by anything else." Your thanks receive a quick, almost frightened smile and then she looks away again.
     Crushes are such hell...
     "All right. Inventory, orders, bids. Inventory won't take all that long - mostly it'll take a bit while I figure out and learn where everything is and I make the tally sheets. Maybe a day or two at the outside unless something happens. Coffee?" Again, she looks sideways at you, as if startled, then away again. "Oh, um, sure. Tea would be lovely, thanks. No hurry."
     And he's gone. Thank god, her expression suggests as Alice reappears. "Yes, he's just locking up for tea. We'll be having sandwiches in a moment - I was just going over vendor suggestions and the like with him. You didn't miss anything."

     "Oh," Alice smiles, "I'll leave you to it then." It's the way she says it. Couldn't you just die? "We can pick up with the inventory once the pub's back open. How late are you working tonight? I'm here to help with whatever you need. Llew said he called in a few extra girls to handle the up front bits."
     Alice heads out of the office and to one of the unused lockers. Opening the door, she looks in the mirror, adjusting her shirt, and checking hair and make-up. "I don't know about you, but I want a date. I'm going to pick up a football player tonight," Alice announces. "That's just the way it's going to be. I'm on the clock until eleven, by the by. But you'll be long gone by then, early bird!"
     Llew returns, "Bar's closed. Alice, if you could reopen it at six, that'd be great. So," his hands come together, rubbing, "... ready for tea and sandwiches, Audrey?" And Alice may as well be invisible. She's not invited. Saying nothing but smiling to you, Alice gives a little wave and heads into the bar. Leaving you alone. With him.
     "I realized we haven't had much of a chance to talk. I'm not the usual boss man bar manager," Llew notes, "... to me, it's just a big family, all chipping in, yeah? It's a bit unconventional, maybe, but I like it that way. So... I hope you don't mind the lack of formality." He smiles suddenly. "Even though I am calling you Audrey."

     "Oh, you don't have to leave!" Audi turns scarlet, shaking her head vigorously. "I'm working until seven - I figured I'd put in a little extra time so's to get things straightened out once and for all. It'll still give me plenty of time to get home by tube. Mercifully I'm right on the tube - North Holloway, you know"
     She puts one of the boxes of shirts back, making a note neatly on the top in Sharpie. "Yes, I never work that late. By eleven I'm home and probably in bed," she agrees cautiously. "You like the footballer types, then? Is that really a date, though? I mean. Won't he be a little drunk? Where would you go, after you get off shift?"
     She is not pulling Alice's leg; it's plain to see in her earnest expression, puzzlement settled in solidly on its foundations. You return and she smiles sheepishly to you, looking a little startled - and then almost dismayed. She is alone. With you.
     Eep.
     "Oh, it's all right, I don't mind," Audi answers you cautiously, blinking and looking away. She moves to sit back at the desk, jiggling the mouse until the screen unblanks itself. "It's not much of a name, is it? Here, I'll go get the food and the tea, shall I? Let me just clear off the papers from the desk." Quickly, she slides things into drawers, lightly kicking the wastecan in under the desk. "I'll be right back, then, with the tea."

     Alice never gets to answer that question. She's heading out to the bar to let you have your privacy with the boss. She's grinning like a right devil about it, too.
     "I like it," Llew offers with a slight shrug. As if to say: and why not? And then you offer to get the tea. He waves you off. "Nah, nah. I'll get it. Just take a seat. I'll be right back."
     Couldn't you just kill Alice? Seriously?
     Llew disappears into the kitchen. Will you make a break for it? Or make a run for it and break Alice?
     You have a few minutes. Even the electric kettle takes a minute to heat up and boil. Unfortunately for you, the sandwiches are already made. From the kitchen you can hear the banter and interchange of Welsh from Llew to Dewi. Piercing the quiet is the trill of the kettle...

     She just isn't the carnivorous type. It doesn't even occur to her to run after Alice and give her a quick smack; instead, she looks around the office with a slightly lost look. What will she do? What CAN she do? She hesitates, torn between impulses. "Well... the trash is out of the way," Audi whispers to herself. You won't be seeing anything incriminating unless you dig through the rubbish, and even then maybe not.
     With a sigh, she undoes the ponytail, letting her hair fall back down along her back. She needs something to play with at times like this. And you will be back at any moment. She paces the length of the office and back, then drops into the guest chair, grabbing a pad and a pen and staring off into space. Absently, the tip of the pen begins moving over the paper, a dour turtle taking shape, spectacles on the tip of his nonexistent nose as he stares down at a slightly Alice-like young girl wearing a heavy crown and with papier-mâché wings on her back. The girl's hands are folded behind her back, and she appears to be listening to the turtle with all due respect... save for the large box marked 'SULPHURED MATCHES' she hides from him behind her.
     It's better than hearts and flowers, at least...

     When Llew returns he's carrying neither plate nor pot. Dewi comes behind him, pushing a cart. "Tea time! Shall we raise a cuppa to the queen and wiggle our pinky fingers?" he wonders suddenly, voice lifted.
     Dewi snorts a laugh. "Let me know when you're done, and I'll roll it back. You takin' the mike tonight?"
     "I might," Llew says, taking off the linen napkin from the stack of cucumber sandwiches. "You know, right when we're closing," he smirks, looking over to Audi. Audrey. "Not that I'm bad, mind you. I just can't see me getting a moment away from the bar tonight. That's why I'm going to sit here with Audi and eat cucumber sandwiches for a while. Relax. God knows it'll be the last time that'll happen tonight."
     Dewi gives you a wave and heads back to the kitchen: "Don' I know it!"
     Llew pours a cuppa for you and a cuppa for him. He lets you doctor your own cup, though, as he takes a couple of the small sandwiches. "I'm starting to dread Thursday nights. You know, once you have this office running like a well-oiled machine, I might just take a week off and make you boss." He sits back with a wolfish grin. He wouldn't dare!
     He settles in the chair across from your desk, relaxing back, his legs stretched out as far as they can go with your desk in front of him. "So, you're real name is Audrey," Llew starts. "So... Audrey... Davydd's told me precious little about you. And don't go saying there's precious little to know. I'm not so dull and naive as to buy that for a second. What do you do when you're not slaving away cleaning up my inventory?"

     The pad is lowered and Audi looks up, jumping a little in surprise. "I wiggle my nose better'n I do my pinkies. But I can try? Here, can I help with anything?" The pad's set aside with its pen and she turns her full attention to the cart, blinking some more. "Um. You don't expect me to eat all that, do you?"
     She sits back down again, rather abruptly, seeming a trifle dazed. It's all very confusing to her - especially with her work history. "The mike? Oh, do you sing?" Do you sing, she asks. Clearly, she has no education. "You don't need to pour for me, honest. But thank you."
     Again the ankles are crossed, and she adds a bit of cream to her tea - cream, but no sugar. Not while you're watching, anyway. "What's wrong with Thursday nights?" Audi wonders. She reddens, cheeks pinking until she drops her gaze to her cup; she leans forward to take a sandwich. "Well, and if you put me in charge, who's to say I'd let you come back?" The girl's not spineless, after all! She sticks her tongue out at you and takes a big bite out of a cucumber sandwich.
     She wrinkles her nose as you start asking her things, munching away until her mouth's clear and she can answer. "My real name's Audrey," Audi agrees, "I have four brothers and three sisters and mum's pregnant again, last I heard. I'm the oldest. There really isn't that much to know about me," she insists. "I want to be an illustrator of children's stories, but the market's not that big, so I do whatever else so I can keep off the streets. Um. I go to thrift shops and vintage shops a lot? And I walk a lot. I'm kind of boring, really. What do you want to know?"

     Laughter trips from his throat and lands flatly on his tongue, but the mirth lands squarely in his eyes. Llew leans forward, taking a handful of the sandwiches. "Not at all. I figure you're good for two or three." But the rest? Those are for him. Sitting back with a sandwich in one hand and the cup of tea in his other, Llew is given to rumination -- over your questions, your features, your energy.
     "Thursday nights.. not a bad thing in themselves. I'm a fan of Thor; I have no problem with the man. But it's hellish business. I'll be up till four." He pauses to finish one of the small sandwiches. His sipping of tea is far more measured than his eating, that's for sure.
     "And... yeah... I sing. I play guitar," Llew nods slowly as he speaks. "A twelve-string mostly. I like the sound of it. I write a bit." He shrugs lightly. "And you draw. We have a couple of actresses here, a dancer, now an artist. It's good. You know... and Davydd and Rhodri started it, really... but ... we foster...well, it's sort of like an artist's commune, really." He laughs at that, his smile sudden and broad. And you've seen that smile before, on Davydd's face.
     "Four brothers and three sisters. A large family. Same here," he nods again. "I have six brothers and two sisters. And a whole country of cousins, uncles, et cetera." Llew smirks at the brim of his cup as he sips at his milky tea again. Another small sandwich disappears. "I don't think you're boring. No more than I am anyway. I just like to know a little something about the folks I end up spending all my time with, yeah? Can I ... see some of your work sometime? I'll trade you. You can hear me caterwaul if I can see your sketches. Sounds like a bargain, doesn't it?"

     "Oh, I don't have any uncles or cousins. I don't even know who my father was, not for sure," Audi admits candidly. "I'm all right with that; I mean, having a father's nice and all, but look how many people end up in therapy for theirs, and I couldn't afford therapy, I've barely been affording rent!"
     That was a little more revealing than she'd intended to be, for she turns pink again and dips her head down over her tea. "Well, I don't know that you could say I really am an artist. I've never made any money at it. Really, I am boring - or you're just very easily entertained." Dimples appear briefly in a flash of a smile, and she picks up her sandwich again. "I'll be happy to show you my work if you want. It's not all that good. Here, I did this while you were getting the food." She reaches over, picking up the sketch of the turtle with the girl, offering it over to you.
     "Don't expect miracles. Miracles aren't always positive experiences. But, I do the best I can..."

     "I never expect miracles," his voice clings to his throat and tongue, creating something between a purr and a growl as he looks at the sketch. "I'm no man of faith. Too much of a pragmatist. You know, it's sort of Victorian. It reminds me of those sketches, lithographs in books, that sort of thing. You know, we could turn this into a tee shirt. Well, not the turtle, but your sketches. I mean as long as you do something Black Jack Davy-like. I'd compensate you for that separately. And it's free adverts for your work." He looks up at you to see if you're interested.
     Handing the notepad back to you, Llew picks up his tea again, sipping at it before it goes tepid. He finishes another small sandwich (that's three if you're counting). "We could use some new designs. These are getting a bit dated. I'd like some new posters too. Hmm..." His grey-green eyes are peering at you, focusing so intently.
     His brain is on fire with ideas...
     There is a spark of moonlight on the foggy moss of his gaze, turning mere brightness into incandescence. "What a fantastic idea I just had," he grins. "You can design our new shirts, our new posters, and you get portfolio pieces and a commercial account. Brilliant, right?"

     She looks at you and blinks. "Who - me? Um, I guess I could. I've never designed a t-shirt, though." Audi rubs her nose self-consciously, finishing the cucumber sandwich (her first). "...I'd have to think of something appropriate. I imagine I could, though. You should do a costume night sometime. That would be fun. Promotional, and I guess Davy's doesn't reeeally neeeed it. But it'd be fun, is all."
     She's suddenly shy, taking the paper back and setting it aside. "I have a lot of faith. I mean, it's not religious faith; I don't know how you'd explain it. It's not religion, though. I just, I do believe there's something more to the universe than atoms. And there's nothing wrong with there being atoms; it's sort of interesting, that there's a secret hidden world all around us right down at a cellular level and beyond, infinitely small worlds revolving around just as small suns. There's always things hiding, waiting to be discovered, and that's why I never could give up on life, not when there's always so much still to be found. I-" She blinks, going pink. "I'm sorry, I'll stop and let you get a word in edgewise. I guess I talk too much, huh."

     He smiles quickly and simply says, "No." There is a trail of a wink like the flick of a tail and he finishes his tea. "Well, while you're doing the inventory, you can see the designs we've had in the past. We typically use a kind of pirate figure, a la Captain Morgan, an old family relative; the highwayman figure; and the jack in a deck of cards. You can do anything with any of that. Put some thought to it. I'd like to see what you do with it. Just worry about the designs. I'll worry about the silk-screening."
     Setting his cup aside, Llew finally rises. "As much as I'd like to sit about and chitchat all night, there's a pub out there waiting to be opened and footy players waiting to get pissed. Can't disappoint the punters, now, can we?"
     He starts to head out and then pauses, glancing to you with a half turn of his body. "I agree with you, on atoms. We are universes in miniature," Llew murmurs, as if sharing a secret of the universe with you. Rather, it's just a thought he has. A thought he shares.

     She is still busy being tongue-tied by that purring growl of yours, looking down into her cup. "I'll see what I can come up with, sure. Something for the men and something for the women, each to their own taste." Audi rubs her cheek vigorously, then leans to put down her cup, rising to her feet. Tea is clearly over.
     "I'll come up with some designs when - well, later," Audi murmurs, hastily turning her back to you and to your philosophy. "Good luck with the footy types. I'll come out if anything comes up, otherwise I'll be back here. Well, until it's time for me to leave and go home. I hope it doesn't inconvenience you, my not being able to work late."
     She doesn't apologize for it. She hopes not, but it is the way it is. She cannot work late, and that's that. "Don't let any of the riot boys punch you..."

     Llew glances back again as he heads out of the office. The smile is simple, again, but this time warmed with something of understanding. "No, it's no trouble at all. Don't worry about it, Audi. Feel free to come out and have a Guinness on the house if you want. Otherwise, I'll ... see you tomorrow..."

Posted by rowan at October 16, 2007 08:39 PM