Post by vespertine on Dec 17, 2021 23:52:03 GMT -5
****So I get a little bored between shows so I like to do these Slice of Life series to show character development a bit better and what she is like. This continues her SL of being Buddhist.
Place: Vespertine's apartment, Nob Hill, San Francisco, Ca
Date/Time: Dec 15th, 2021, 6PM
Outfit:
(Nob Hill, San Francisco on the street. A garage door opens and a second later a black Ferrari pulls into the garage. Vespertine gets out of the car, grabs something in the passenger’s seat and puts her black trenchcoat on. She walks out of the garage and the door/gate closes behind her. She is looking down at her Android V2 when she gets to the first step. She doesn’t notice a man sitting on the top step looking down at her with a wicked smile on his face. She reaches the bottom step when she looks up… at him. She stops walking, backs up a step, looks up the street and then down the street. She looks back up at him and tilts her head. He leans back and puts his elbows on the stoop step.)
Man: What? Come on, you didn’t miss me?
Man: What? Come on, you didn’t miss me?
Vespertine: I thought you were with family this Christmas. Down in Mexico (she smirks) Tijuana I think, to be exact.
Man: Woo girl. You are good. How are you, Vesey.
(they hug, kiss and embrace)
Ves: Doing good, James. What you doing home early. I thought you were going to be there till New Years and come back a few days before. Uh… do you want to come in?
(she goes past him but keeps a hand in his and opens the door with a key she had in hand. She opens the door and leads him up into her apartment. She turns on the lights and pushes a button next to it and the curtains draw back by themselves. She sets her purse down on the counter and takes off her trenchcoat and he sits down on the couch watching her intently. She brushes a stray hair from her ear. She stops and looks over at him.)
Ves: What?
James: As usual, you look so fine today, Chica. Muy eres bonita. Te gusta.
Ves: You know I love it when you talk like that (she gets on his lap and straddles it slowly grinding as she does so.) I doubt though you came home because you wanted sex with me. That would've been a long trip but happy endings for all.
(he shrugs)
James: I did say that Mi amor. (He puts his hands on her hips) Damn! You are fine, Chica. Te gusta. (she bites her lip looking like a little girl) No no no. I came home because a few friends of mine are having a get together for Christmas and I know you are Buddhist but I wanted to invite you because even a Buddhist shouldn’t be alone on Christmas.
Ves: Oh (her eyes go all two sizes bigger) OH! You saw my promo for R1W already? Oh damn! You weren’t supposed to see that yet. Please, my sweet, I’m good, I’m glad your home now so we can spend the rest of the day together.
Ves: Oh (her eyes go all two sizes bigger) OH! You saw my promo for R1W already? Oh damn! You weren’t supposed to see that yet. Please, my sweet, I’m good, I’m glad your home now so we can spend the rest of the day together.
(she leans over to kiss him suggestively on the lips. He takes it and then he breaks away from her)
Ves: What?
James: Dayam! It really IS just another day for you. No, I refuse to hear that. You are coming to my friend’s party and you WILL enjoy yourself. In fact (he looks at his watch) it starts in a half hour so get ready…. Unless you are going out like that.
Ves: (gets off his lap) Ok, my sweet, if you insist. Let me get my keys and get a few things then let me get the car out of the garage.
James: Your car? Oh hell no. Not in Oakland are you taking that fine thing. No, we’ll take my car.
Ves: OH… sounds good. Where did you park? I don’t remember seeing your car on the street anywhere.
James: Chica, how the hell would you know, you was so busy texting and Droiding you didn’t even look up. (she laughs and shrugs) I parked a few streets away. I wanted to surprise you.
Ves: You did that. OK, I’m ready then.
(He gets up, she gets her keys, clutch, trenchcoat, fluffs her hair in the mirror in the hallway. She grimaces and he notices.)
James: What?
Ves: I look like something the cat dragged in. I look like hell.
James: Trust me Chica (he wraps his arms around her, kisses her neck) Where you are going, you will be the most dressed up mujer at the partay!
(she grabs a few things off the counter, pushes a button and the blinds close and she flips off the lights and they go out the door, down the street and get in his car which is a red caddy with gold wheels. She stops and busts out laughing)
Ves: You brought the caddy?
James: Had to. I wouldn’t take my Beamer out of the garage where we are going.
(He clicks it open, they both get in and he takes off. She plays with his neck and hair as he drives and he tells her about his Christmas eve dinner with family down in Tijuana as they drive over the Bay Bridge towards Oakland. It’s about 5:00PM and the lights outlining the Bridge and the buildings are just coming on. They get off the Bay Bridge and turn left towards Oakland. They get off when they hit the city at an off ramp where it says “Jack London Square this way”. They go over another bridge, around a smallish lake where they park at a place on the street. They sit in the car for a few minutes talking. He then gets out a present.)
James: I know you are Buddhist but I wanted to give you a present anyway. I hope you like it. Merry Christmas, Chica.
Ves: Awwwww James. Wait (she fishes around in her clutch) I actually got your something as well. I wasn’t expecting anything from you.
James: I wasn’t expecting anything from you. I thought you didn’t celebrate Christmas.
Ves: I don’t. Just any reason any time to give a friend/lover/boyfriend a gift is a good time, right?
James: True! (they open their presents at the same time. She reaches in and pulls out hoop earrings. He opens what appears to be a card and then takes out a gift certificate to…)
James: OH DAYAM! Nordstrom’s in San Francisco. $500? What did I do to deserve this?
Ves: Well you always look good and you always say you need clothes to match mine. So when you go spend that, give me a (airquotes) holler, chico and we can clothe you correctly. And these? (she indicates the big golden hoops)
James: It’s what every hoe wears? (he sees her mad expression and just busts out laughing) Naw naw naw, it isn’t like that. I was kidding. I give all of my girls hoop earrings when they are from another culture. Every latina girl you see has a set and it indicates a right of passage of sorts. So I have never seen you wear any so I figured I would get you some.
Ves: What right of passage constitutes a set of large hoops through your ears?
James: A quinicera, though in your case, it would be for your 25th. Kind of a passage through life and the fact that you come from a distinguished culture like mine.
Ves: AH! (she takes out the small earrings she currently has in and puts on the golden hoops) Aw thank you my sweet. (he leans over and they kiss) Merry Christmas!
James: You too. Whatever you celebrate. (she rolls her eyes at him)
Ves: I have to teach you about my religion. Remind me to do that sometime.
(They get out of the car, he locks it and they walk up to the front door of a rather nice building over looking a small lake, a sign by the lake says “Lake Merritt” and the San Francisco skyline. They go up the elevator, get out on the 10th floor and walk down the hallway. From inside you can hear something like a concert but with Mexican music going. He knocks on the door.)
James: You ready Chica?
Ves (she sighs nerviously) As ready as I’ll ever be.
(The door opens and a big guy that weighs almost 300lbs answers the door. She looks up....)
Man: James! Glad you could make it.
(they dap hands and hug)
J: Diego! Mi amigo. I wouldn’t miss your party for the world. I came home early just to be here for it and to show off my girl.
(the big man looks over at Vespertine)
Diego: And this must be the lovely Vespertine.
(she sticks out her hand to shake his but he pulls her in for a huge hug)
Diego: My boy here talks a lot about you. So you is a wrestler huh?
(they go in and he takes her coat. A curvy latina woman with a one piece dress, black high heels and a Santa cap comes in. She goes over to hug James.)
James: Francheschka, I would like you to meet the love of my life, Vespertine. Real name Kimber Le but in the ring and everywhere else she goes by Vespertine.
(Franchesca goes over to Vespertine, puts a hand on her hip and looks her up and down. When Vespertine sticks her hand out to shake hers, she raises an eyebrow)
Diego: Damn, Chica. Why you gotta be like that. Come on, she is my boy’s new girl. Don’t be giving Tude to her.
Francheschka: What? You vouch for her?
Diego: Indeed I do. Any woman of James is my girl too.
James: Uh no! She is MY girl. You have your own girl. In fact you have three girls!
Ves: Oh! (her eyes light up) OH! A Mormon! I heard about you guys. I didn’t think your religion was out here. How many wives you got?
(both Franchescka and Diego look at her, then at James who just shrugs and they burst out laughing)
Diego: I have three women in my life. This is the first woman (he puts an arm around Franchesca.) The other 2 women are with their nana right now. She is babysitting them. Jannelle is 3 and Cassie is 5. Me? I’m full on Christian Catholic. And so is my family.
Ves: Oh sorry.
Diego: No problem, but that just gives me incentive now to rag on you later for something. Like, didn’t James say you was Buddhist. We have those around here but you is the first one I ever met.
(They start walking into the living room where a whole crowd of people are, a lot of them with drinks in hand and a few others with dinner plates. The current song on the radio is “Feliz Navidad.)
Diego: So if you are a wrestler, doesn’t that go against you’re religion?
Ves: I’m semi practicing.
Diego: A semi practicing what? Wrestler or Buddhist?
Francheshka: Oh, you’re a wrestler? That's what he meant by the Ring. Gotcha. Girl, you and I got to talk. I wanted to try that out a long time ago.
(Francheschka sits down on an empty couch and pulls Vespertine down next to her. Diego pulls up a chair next to Franchesca and James lifts Vespertine up, sits down and puts her on his lap. She wiggles her fingers at everyone as he does so. Another big guy of about 270 lbs with a long ponytail and tattoos all over his arms come up. He has his arm around a hot looking latina woman with tattoos all over her arms, long legs and even longer lashes.)
Man: Hey, we got ourselves new puta here. Who is the newbie, brother?
James: Just close your ears, Vesey, he didn’t actually say that.
Diego: New girl, Don, don’t make her uncomfortable, man. We is a family unit tonite.
Don: Ah, gotcha. (he takes out his hand to shake hers) The name is Donnie, I’m Diego’s brother. This here is Maricruz.
(She takes his hand and shakes it, she does the same to Maricruz)
Ves: If I remember my Spanish correctly. I think he said pussy but that’s if I remember correctly. My trainer in Ciudad de Mexico, Rey Misterio Sr. taught me a bit of Spanish. I taught myself the other little bit. Lo siento, mi amigo, este puta no es eres. El es! (she looks at James) I said that right, right?
James: (kissing her head) Yes sweetie. You said that right.
(Everyone else around them is going “OHHHHHHHHH”. Maricruz just bursts out laughing)
Maricruz: I like her. She is a keeper James.
Don: Wait. Rey MIsterio Sr. Wasn’t he like a wrestler for WWE or WCW or something like that.
Ves: In his day, he wrestled for AWA. His son Rey Misterio wrestles for WWE now and wrestled for ECW before WWE took over. Sadly, my girl, Gail Kim, doesn’t work there anymore and went to TNA. She's retired but still works there behind the scenes now.
Maricruz: AH, Chica. You KNOW, Gail? I love her. What’s she like esse?
Ves: Nice! Friendly. Shy off camera, not a big talker. But a real entertainer once you put the camera on her. She loves this business as much as I do. We would both die for this business. In fact it was her, and Melina who steered me towards Rey Misterio Sr.
(Another heavyset latino man comes up.)
Man: Are we talking about wrestling over here?
Don: Yeah, our Jamie James new girl is a wrestler for Rw1.
James: I was her biggest fan for the past 10 years. She didn’t know it. (he points to the new man) Johnny is my cousin. He helps me train the wrestlers in my regional.
Ves: Really? That’s cool. You need more trainers there.
James: Luz is his girl. She is over there in the corner and from here I believe she is making out with Sam.
(Johnny gets a surprised look on his face and he turns quickly to the corner but sees nothing. Finally he realizes he got punked and laughs as do they all.)
Ves: Wow! If someone had done that to me or one of my friends, we would hold a grudge and attack back.
James: I wouldn’t worry chica. We are all family here. We know each other real well and know when each of us are jesting.
Ves: Cool! (gets up off his lap and then turns around to give him a kiss on the head) Don’t move my sweet. I saw food and I’m hungry. I’ll get us something. What do you want to drink?
Diego: We gots Tequila, Margaritas, beer, wine, soft drinks, water, tap, juice. Anything you want. Food is on the table. There is still some left over I think, right Johnny. Unless you eaten it all.
Johnny: (belches outloud) If I had known they were coming late, I would’ve left some food. (stares up and thinks) Naw, I think there is enough food left.
(She goes into the kitchen and gets some food plates and drinks. James and the crew continue talking.)
Johnny: Man, James. She is fine. Where did you meet her?
James: Bar.
Maricruz: NO! Really? Just like that? Which bar?
James: Some bar in the City named AsiaSF.
Diego: I do believe she is a new flavor for you, right. In all my years we have been friends, you always hooked it up with Latinas.
Don: Or black women.
James: Well, I thought I would try something new.
Fran: James, oi. How is she in bed?
James: (shrugs) Don’t know.....
All: (as one they all go "BAHHHH")
Don: Wait. You haven’t done her yet? Wow! Is she a virgin?
James: No. We have. But the way she portrays her character in well…every federation she has ever been in, she comes off as sex addict and I think that carries over into real life. She isn't a virgin but I’m her first latino boyfriend and I want to make us look good, you know so if we decide to break up, she’ll go latino first.
Diego: Yeah because you know, once you go latino, you never go back.
(James and Diego laugh and dap hands. Fran rolls her eyes)
James: Not like I’m giving her up anytime soon though so if you want her, you’ll have to fight me…and probably her too.
(Vespertine comes back with a plate of food and two drinks. Both Tequilas. She sits down on James lap and they pick at their food as they talk.)
James: What did you get us?
Ves: Tequila for you. Tequila for me.
James: What the- what is this? I thought hard drinks weren’t your thing. When we first talked you had this fruity drink with an umbrella in it. Something called… uh....
Ves: It was a Long Beach Iced Tea. (the group blinks collectively) It’s like a Long Island Iced Tea but fruitier and has more of an orange flavor to it. (to James) That is what I had at that time. I’m not a big drinker but sometimes, if you want to fit in, you drink what everyone else drinks. Right?
Don: I like this girl! She has a good head on her shoulders.
Ves: (she raises her glass) Bottoms up. Oh uh, sorry I meant Merry Christmas (she gulps the drink down in two gulps.)
Fran: If you aren’t Christian, what are you? I’ve never seen an Asian put a drink like that away. You’re a small girl too
Ves: (coughing) I’m Buddhist! (holds up a finger to let the drink go down) Thank you for noticing my size. If you want to go technical then: KAMBAI!
(they all raise their drinks and take big gulps. As the hours wear on, they finally finish their food, talk a little bit more, play a few games, then they all open presents. Diego gives one to Vespertine.)
Ves: I’m sorry, I didn’t get you anything. I….uh actually… I didn’t even know James was in town let alone taking me here today.
Diego: No worries, chica. From what James told me about you, Frannie and I went out got you something. He told us you were Buddhist and didn’t get anybody gifts. But we knew you two were coming so we still got you something.
James: That was actually before we exchanged gifts in the car.
Francecheska: You did?
James: Yeah, evidently she likes giving gifts but doesn’t celebrate the season. (he shrugs) I know, who knew.
Ves: These (indicates the hoop earring) Are from him.
Maricruz: Not bad, girl. Small girl, big earrings. They actually fit you.
(She opens their gift and she pulls out a red shrug, size 1. She thanks them both profusely for it. A few more hours after a few games, a few more drinks, everyone needs to get going and go home. Diego and Fran walk Vespertine and James to the door. Diego gets their coats for them.)
Ves: Franchesca, Diego, I had a wonderful time. Thank you very much! Feliz Navidad… from the local resident Buddhist.
Ves: Franchesca, Diego, I had a wonderful time. Thank you very much! Feliz Navidad… from the local resident Buddhist.
Fran: Oi! Come visit us again and maybe you will see Jannelle and Cassie, nuestras chicas.
Diego: Right. Any friend of James is a friend of ours.
Ves: Next time we go out on a date, we’ll call you up.
(they all say goodbye and the door closes behind them. They walk down the hall until James stops and catches Vespertine’s arm. She looks at him confused. He looks up and she does too and there is missletoe hanging on the ceilings. They both kiss long and passionately. They break and she staggers back.)
Ves: Wow!
James: Another great kiss courtesy of James. Is Vesey a satisfied customer?
Ves: Yes, Vesey is a very satisfied customer. You are an awesome kisser.
James: You are too.
Ves: Thanks, I've been around a bit.
James: I've noticed.
(they both laugh and go on down the hall out into the frozen rainy night.)