| Funyuns on the High Seas | |||||
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| What: Justin and Fern's boating adventure begins with a snack, and then lunch. | |||||
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It didn't take long to get everything stowed and get the Millennium Watchman out on the water. Introductions were made to the Captain, First Mate and Chef, Jack is traveling with them as well, and Fern spent a few minutes in her stateroom, before finding her way back out into the open air. She found the 'flying bridge', but came back down to the shade of the aft-deck lounge. No sense getting sunburned in the first five minutes and ruining their fun. Still wearing her shorts and tank top, she's abandoned her sneakers on the floor and sits on her knees on the cushioned seat that spans the width of the boat, facing outward, watching where they're leaving as the boat cuts through the water. Blue eyes are wide and she is completely enraptured with the whole grand adventure.
After the introductions, Justin had taken some time to talk with the captain and the chef, getting the trip planned out. He had requested that they travel north along the coast, toward Connecticut and through the Long Island sound. Several meals are planned, and once everything is set, he too retires to his room for a moment. It's not long after Fern claims her spot on the aft deck lounge that Justin emerges from the salon. "There you are. So, what'cha think of this so far? Not bad for a little boat, huh?"
Fern turns at the voice, and if she were to smile any wider her head would split in half and the top would go rolling right off the deck. "Oh my god, Justin!" She bounds up and over to him, flinging her arms around him, giving a squeeze, and then bouncing away just as quickly. "This is so amazing! My room is bigger than my whole apartment!" Which shouldn't be a surprise as he's seen her building. It's not much nicer on the inside than it is on the outside. "Little boat. If this is a little boat what do you call a tanker? A dingy?" She's back by the rail, leaning to look down to the water.
Justin actually lets out a bit of an 'oof' as Fern semi-tackles him. He chuckles. "Eh, I think a tanker is a bit bigger," he replies with a smirk. Most others would find his deliberate understatement of things annoying, but it seems that Fern has built up a tolerance to it. "So I take it your stateroom is adequate? Good to hear." He joins the young woman at the railing, likewise looking down. "We're going to loop around the south end of Manhattan, then head north and into Long Island Sound and toward Connecticut. Should be a pretty nice trip. Miguel should have lunch ready for us in about an hour."
Fern turns her head to look at Justin, "I just can hardly believe this is yours. That I know someone who owns something so beautiful." She's not even going to the thought of potentially ever owning something like this herself, that seems about as likely as going to Neverland. Her brows shoot up when Justin mentions lunch, as she remembers, "I have something for us in my bag!" She scoots over to where her messenger bag lays on the deck, flopping it open. She doesn't have to dig inside, what she draws out is plenty big enough to not get lost. Held up proudly in one hand is a large bag of Funyuns. "I brought a snack!"
It's hard not to beam a bit at such a compliment. Justin had never really thought of the boat as 'beautiful' before, though it is. Yes, he knows it's a nice looking ship with clean lines and a wonderfully designed interior, but he bought it because rich people have yachts, therefore he should have one too. It was always more a status symbol than a thing of true beauty. Amazing how the budding actress can manage to spin entirely new perspectives on things. "Well, any time you wanna go out on it, just ask," he tells the redhead before she bounds off to collect whatever it is she brought. He arches a brow at the bag, having instinctively expected cannolis, but then grins. "I haven't had those in years," he comments, "I don't even think I remember what they taste like."
"They taste like awesome," Fern says simply, flopping back down onto the bench seat, using both hands to pull the bag open at the top. It's offered to Justin first, the opening tilted toward him, displaying the golden treasure within. The crisps are vaguely onion ring-ish, at least in shape and color. "They're crunchy and delicious," she promises, helping herself to some after he's dipped in. "Kind of like a cheese puff, but not cheesy like they are." Immediately chomping into one, she crunches away happily, looking out to the water again, drawn to it, fascinated.
Justin sits down on the long bench as well, and takes a couple of the offered snacks. He tries one, somewhat tentatively. "Huh, not bad," he comments before crunching down on a second one. He had nearly forgotten what simple food like this tastes like, eating mostly complex meals for the past several years. He watches Fern for a moment, her fascination with the water more than clear. "You sure you're not secretly a mermaid or something? As much as you like boats and water. And the fact you can talk to turtles." Nope, that run-in at Central Park is not forgotten.
Fern turns her beaming smile on Justin, "Maybe I was a fish in another life. Probably a bad one, too, since I can't swim well in this life." She giggles at the thought of being the only fish in history to ever drown, and that would be just her luck. She twists to face him, crossing her legs to sit Indian style on the cushion, bobbing around lightly as the water rocks the moving vessel. The strands of hair that whip across her face are absently pulled away and tucked to blow behind her, but after a few seconds they're right back for her to pull away again, until she just gets tired of the game. "I can't believe you aren't out on this every single second you get. I love the roll of the water, it's so soothing." Not one for seasickness, no.
Why isn't Justin out on the yacht more? That actually gives him a pause as he thinks it over. "Well, since you seem so fond of it, we'll have to take it out more often," he says. She's right, the gentle movement of the boat and simply being out on the water is relaxing. Not being tied to the land, where the work is, does have a positive psychological effect. One would think taking the jet somewhere would have the same effect, since it too isn't tethered to the land, but it doesn't. Stretching out again, in much the same way he did in the limo earlier, Justin watches the passing city coastline. "So what did you think of that benefit Friday night? I guess they raised a good piece of money."
As Justin stretches out, visibly relaxing and enjoying the time away from everything, Fern also feels more at ease than she has in more than a week. There's no werewolves waiting to grab either of them, no monsters and chanting cultists, just fresh air, blue water, and them. "I'll come out whenever you want. This is lovely." Copying his lead, she stretches out, too, putting her feet up, snuggling back into the plump cushions. "I thought it was really nice. I love the gardens, I was there once before for a feast Thor and Sif threw. Did you enjoy it?"
Justin shrugs lightly. "Eh, it wasn't bad. Not nearly as uptight at some of them are. Food was good." He had done a good bit of socializing, which was the main reason he attended those events, so it went well overall. The evening also further solidified in his mind that he would love to have Fern as his official PA, the woman is so very good at leveling out his otherwise over the top outward demeanor. Had she not been there, he likely would have made quite the ass of himself in front of Warren Worthington III. "You still working the Anita Bella stand at the Expo too, or just back at the brick and mortar store? I'm planning on hitting up the Queen Industries' presentation later this week."
Fern settles the bag of Funyuns between them so they can both dip into it easily. "I'm doing both, as they need. But Jerry is back, his production is over, so that helps. It was a lot more work, having to make sure a whole other shift for someone was filled. But, he'd do the same for me." And hopefully will have to again. Still, there's a melancholy hint to the words, "That'll be almost the closing of the Expo. It's been a lot of fun." If you don't count the interruptions to some of the demos.
"Production?" Justin asks, head tilting slightly. "Is he an actor as well? I had no idea." He shrugs again as Fern mentions the end of the Expo. "It's been a good year for me there, but I'll be glad to see things get back to normal. Trying to split my time between the usual CEO gig and making sure things are running smoothly there is getting tiring." Though honestly, Justin could stand to back off of the Expo thing a lot more. He just doesn't like the idea of not knowing exactly what's going on down there. "I'm hoping this demo is a lot smoother than the last one we went to. I could do with some good old fashioned, boring tech talk. Speaking of, you want to join me for that one? No idea what they're presenting, they're being pretty tight lipped about it."
"Oh yeah, I thought you knew," Fern says lightly. She does tend to figure that her knowledge is pretty general knowledge most of the time, and forgets to fill in the blanks. "He's been doing a play, it just wrapped up." She crunches lightly on their snack as she listens, and his question gets a nod, "Sure, I'll make sure when it is and make sure I'm off in time to catch it with you." The grin can't help but surface, "It would be nice if no werewolves showed up, yes. I'm glad you and Warren got to connect, that was an unexpected bonus. Now you know him."
"Oh, that's good. Hope he had a good run," Justin replies in regards to Jerry being an actor. "Yeah, no more werewolves would be a good thing. I think I've had about enough of that sort of stuff for... Well, for a lifetime." Justin's life isn't exactly 'normal', being a CEO of a company and filthy rich, but the weirdness is just starting to get crazy. Gods, mythical monsters, werewolves, superheroes phasing through his windows and making deals with supervillains. It's all starting to get to be a bit much. "Meeting Warren was good, yes. He'll be a good one to know when it comes times to expand the HI complexes again. Depending on how things go, I could be looking at adding additional space to the Coppell manufacturing facilities." Alas, relaxing boat trip has started to slip toward work conversation, Justin's default setting.
Fern nods agreeably, "He's a good person to know. He could probably do well knowing someone like you, too. I worry about the people he goes out with sometimes." There's genuine concern in the words, and a soft sigh. Fern springs upright, looking at Justin. "Would you like something to drink? I'm gonna see if there's any Pepsi. Funyuns make me thirsty," she grins.
Like Justin Hammer is going to be any sort of a good influence on anyone, much less Worthington. He's likely in safer hands with his current group of friends. Justin notes the concern, then the sudden subject change. He hadn't intended to bring up Worthington, since the subject does seem to cause discomfort for the young woman, he was just part of the current conversation. The CEO leans forward when Fern stands, but he stops when Jack comes down the stairs from the flying bridge. "Sir, Miss," he says to each of them in turn, "Chef Acosta says that lunch is prepared and will be served on the fly bridge at the dining area." At that announcement, Justin does stand, and he looks toward Fern. "Well, good timing it seems."
"Perfect," Fern chirps, bringing her hands together with a clap, clasping them at her chest. "And we're going to eat upstairs? Awesome! You can see everything from up there." And the dining table is sheltered, so she can still put off her sun exposure for a little bit. Yeah, she does want to bask some, but even with a sunblock, she usually manages to get a burn somewhere. She doesn't seem worried about what's been prepared, being the type to eat anything that's set in front of her because it's the polite thing to do. "Thanks, Jack," she says, smiling as she slips past him to go up to the next level.
Justin follows Fern, taking to the stairs after the young woman has likely bounded halfway up them. He doesn't say anything to Jack, who follows along after Justin. It's a good thing Fern is so polite, otherwise the poor driver and part time assistant of Hammer's wouldn't get any sort of respect. Once all three of them are on the flying bridge, Jack moves to pull out Fern's chair for her as Justin sits down at the head of the table. A Hispanic gentleman, carrying perhaps a few extra pounds, turns from the outdoor grill in the dining area to face the arrivals. He's grinning broadly as he helps Jack lay the food out on the table.
Justin looks toward the chef. "So, Miguel, what are we having today?" The Hispanic gentleman, clearly happy with what he's prepared, lifts the lid off of Fern's plate first. "Lightly grilled snapper with a caper sauce and sauteed vegetables," Chef Acosta replies. "I've taken the liberty of matching a fabulous vintage chardonnay, unless either of you would like something else to drink?"
Again, Jack gets a full smile, "Thank you." Fern sits looking first to Justin, then to Miguel, leaning back slightly to give him room to remove the dome, enjoying the production of the moment and the big reveal. It's beautifully presented, and Fern has no qualms about clapping appreciatively. "That looks too pretty to eat. But I'm gonna," she grins to Miguel. Her brows lift, and she requests, "If you have Pepsi, please?" She's never been very big on wine, and doesn't realize that some would be insulted by her asking to pair wonderful food with a soda.
Thankfully Miguel has been Justin's personal chef for long enough that Fern's request isn't found insulting. The CEO's eccentric nature, such as wanting to eat dessert first half the time, has pretty much steeled him against such things. "Thank you, and absolutely, Miss," he tells the young woman with a nod before looking to Justin. "Oh, I'll take a glass of the wine, and water," the CEO says. Once the food is laid out and the drinks served, both Jack and Chef Acosta move off to allow the two to enjoy their meal in peace, though neither is far away in case something is needed. Beyond the dining area, the captain and first mate are on the open flying bridge, looking out over the water as they navigate back up the east side of Manhattan and north toward the sound.
Fern spreads her napkin over her lap, waiting for everything to be set before reaching for her glass. She holds it up toward Justin, "Here's to time spent with good friends." She'll wait to clink glasses with him before taking a sip, then commenting, "This smells so good. Do you eat like this all the time?" Funyuns are kind of a staple for her.
Since he's not wearing a suit, Justin forgoes putting his napkin in his shirt collar, instead laying it across his lap which is more normal. He picks up his glass when Fern holds up hers, clinking the wine glass of expensive white wine against the stouter glass of Pepsi. It's an interesting juxtaposition. "To good friends," he repeats before taking a sip of wine. The CEO picks up his fork and is about to sample the meal when he pauses at Fern's question. "Actually, most of the time. Yeah," he replies. He never really thought about it before.
"Wow," Fern says quietly. "I mean, Anita keeps me pretty well fed, but when I fend for myself it's more likely than not something out of a can." Canned spaghetti fits into her budget, as does macaroni and cheese. The fish flakes with a touch of her fork, perfectly cooked so it's thoroughly heated and moist. And the first bite into her mouth gets a decidedly appreciative reaction, as she closes her eyes and makes a soft noise of delight. Savoring it, she sighs, "Perfect." After a moment she opens her eyes to look to Justin, making sure he's enjoying it just as much.
Hammer has almost forgotten what it's like to have to live on a budget. He did do it, when he was in college and while HI was getting it's start, but that feels like a lifetime ago. He too is enjoying his meal, but probably not with the same gusto as his guest. To Fern this is something special, to Justin, it's an expectation. He does grin, though, pleased that she's enjoying the meal. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. Miguel is one of the best- he can cook pretty much anything you want, and make it amazing." While he may not say a lot of 'pleases' and 'thank yous', Justin is usually quick to talk up those who do a good job. Miguel, who is keeping busy fussing around the outdoor kitchen area, smiles at the compliments.
While she may not eat fancy food much, Fern certainly knows how to enjoy it when the opportunity arises. She falls silent for a few bites, then looks over to the chef, addressing him directly. "It's the best thing I've ever tasted, thank you." But she's not done yet. "Have you been a chef long?" She's definitely not a 'don't talk to the help' kind of person. Usually she is the help.
Justin glances between Fern and Miguel when the waitress directly addresses the chef. He smirks, there's no rule against talking to him, it's just something that's not often done. Usually, when Justin is out here, he has brought some business contacts or the like with him, and they ignore the staff as much, if not more so, than he does.
Miguel turns when he's spoken to, still smiling. "Thank you, miss," he comments before stopping to think. "Let me see, thirteen years now, I believe. But food has always been my passion..." Now that he's started, it may be hard to get the chef to stop talking.