Name: Zora Maria Novak Martinez
Age: 25
Occupation:The unassuming mechanic
Interests: Max; Sunday Evening, Pete; Tuesday Morning and Seb; Wednesday Evening
24th, Make the yuletime gay
There was a soft touch at Zora’s elbow, it was Pete. It was still in the early ends of the evening, people arriving and the space slowly filling up with more bodies and voices.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” He had a drink in hand and looked happy. She had seen him when she arrived, but she must have worked her way around the room in the opposite direction of him, greeting people.
“Hi, Pete,” she gave him a one armed, tight, hug. She was very aware of keeping her own glass out of the way so as not to spill on people (she did learn from her mistakes). “Merry Christmas! And yes, having loads of fun. It’s a success so far!” She gestured around the room, people mingling and talking, the Christmas spirit merry all around.
“It is, isn’t?” He nodded as he followed her gaze around the room.
“So, you are not too busy playing host to enjoy it yourself, are you?”
“Of course not,” he grinned.
“Well, you let me know otherwise,” she clinked her glass to his and held it up, “and I’ll make sure we rectify that. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“You know,” she said we and apologetic hand on his arm, “I think I saw Maddison just arrive, I need to go and say hi to her.”
“No worries, I need to continue making my rounds, perhaps I’ll catch you later.”
“Yes, absolutely!”
***
“You’re here!” Zora’s words came out close to a squeak as she stretched her arms out, ready for the embrace (she had disposed her glass on a table this time for safety measures).
She had known Max would be late, he had to close up and yada, yada, but she was thrilled to see him here now. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had fun up until now, she had, but he was one of her favourite humans so it could only get better with him around.
“Zora!” He came and wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged him back, laughing as he lifted her a few inches of the floor. They had seen too little of each-other lately.
“Closing up went okay?” She asked with her feet back on the floor, he still had one arm around her.
“Yeah,” he eyed the crowded in the room, checking the crowd, probably setting up a plan of attack, before returning his attention to her. “It was a slow one, seems like a lot of my customers are attending some kind of party tonight. I don’t know.” He grinned. “But how are you? You’re doing good? Doing all right?” He squeezed her shoulder.
“Was there a pre-party I wasn’t invited to?” She raised her eyebrows at him, then laughed. “I’m just fine. More so with you here.”
“I don’t see a drink in your hands.”
“Well, I had one,” she turned around to retrieve it, not finding it there anymore, “but it most have wandered off…”
“Then let’s go and get some new ones.” They made their way to the corner where drinks and snack foods were offered. It took thrice as long as it should, as Max stopped to say hello to some friends every other step. Not that she minded, she was used to it, Max knew everyone, and everyone knew Max. She had yet to meet anyone who didn’t like him. Honestly, she wouldn’t have taken offence if he had wandered off there and then, she knew they would end up chatting and arguing and laughing together plenty of times during the evening, it was just how it was between them, but he seemed determined not to leave her side just yet.
“How was the drive? Any snow on the horizon yet?”
“No, not yet. It was a smooth drive.” There had been talk on the forecast of snow coming in during the evening, but the talk of the town was that there wasn’t going to be much too it.
“Hmm… I would like to have a white Christmas,” she mused nursing the new glass.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he smirked. And he then started off on a rant about an annoying, yet adoring (his words), old lady that had dined at the Eatery earlier in the evening and that spun them into other conversations, which had them both laughing, Max almost doubling over.
“Where have you been lately?” He concluded at the end of it, still gathering himself from the laughter.
“I’ve been exactly where I’m always, as has been said, in your very own words I believe, that I am a steady fixture of this town,” she said humorously.
“There has been too little of this going lately,” he gestured pointily at the two of them. “Why don’t you come by for dinner on Sunday?”
“Geeze, I don’t know,” she rolled her eyes, “I guess, if all I have to do is show and eat, I could perhaps manage.”
“Ah, yes, a huge commitment,” he chuckled and she joined in.
“Exactly…”
The tones of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ reached them from somewhere across the room, swaying through the chatter to reach them, Max picked it up, unknowingly Zora thought, he had started to hum along. This would be a great evening.
***
It was later into the evening, people had started dropping off when the snow had started falling, the room growing less crowded. Zora had not noticed the man earlier, she had been too buzzed up on conversation, but know she did as he was standing a on the outskirts of cluster of conversation. She had enough drinks in her to be blunt.
“Yours is not a face I’ve seen around here before.” She stated, a matter of fact. But as he turned to face her and as she heard her own words out loud her bluntness faltered a bit. “That wasn’t perhaps very nicely put, perhaps, it’s just this is a small town and it’s not often one finds new faces at these kinds of gatherings –“ She laughed. “I’m sorry, what I meant to say is, I’m Zora.” She held out her hand.
He took it, shook it. He had a good handshake. “I’m Seb.” Perhaps some hesitation. “And don’t worry about it.”
“Seb…” The name rang some bell somewhere in her mind, but it took her a few seconds to call up the info. “Sebastian, you are Alma’s brother!”
“Seb is just fine, but yes.”
“Like I said, it’s a small town, word get’s around –“
“Pretty quick,” he finished for her.
“I supposed,” she laughed. “Not that I know anything else, I mean about you or how fast information spreads anywhere else. But it’s nice to meet you, Seb. How are you enjoying the evening?”
“It’s been great.”
His tone didn’t convince her. That and the fact had been standing alone. She grimaced. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Are you a friend of Alma’s?” He asked instead.
“More of an acquaintance I would say, friend of a friend. A mutual friend in common, Max, he’s the tall, loudmouthed, one around here somewhere.” He didn’t jump in, so she just continued on. “But I guess in a town like this there is just the two, friends or friends of friends.” For someone else there might have been a third category titled ‘Enemies’ or ‘Unfriends’, but such didn’t spring to Zora’s mind. “Basically, everyone knows everyone else to some degree.”
“Ah yes, I’m being blatantly reminded about the ways of small-town life,” he chuckled.
“I’m sorry,” she laughed, “I feel like I should apologise.”
“Don’t worry about it, I guess it can have it’s charms too.”
“That is at least my opinion.”
He was about say something else when someone called her name, she turned to see Max in a cluster by the windows, now that she noticed there was murmurs around the room.
“Zora, it’s all your fault,” Max called out with a merry groan, if ever there was such a thing.
“What?” She called back, but he was lost talking to someone else. She smiled apologetically to Seb. “And that was the tall loudmouth I talked about, I should go and see what I’ve done now. But it was nice talking to you.”
“It was nice to meet you Zora.”
She left him with a smile, heading over to the window, where she pulled on Max’s arm. “What ever it is that is my fault?”
“Look outside,” he said, “you had to go a wish yourself a white Christmas? It’s a blizzard out there.”
“Oh!” She exclaimed and started laughing, giddily.
Soon after it was declared, they were, in fact, snowed in.
25th, Winter Wonderland
There is awake and barely coherent, then there is fully awake. For Zora to transcend from the former to the latter, there needed to be coffee involved. So, waking in the early hours of morning, the sun wasn’t up yet only the snow lighting up the darkness outside the window, it was more instinct than decision that had her pull herself out of bed and exiting her room in search for a cup.
Reaching the foot of the stairs, the keen sense of her nose took over, as the aroma of a lovely fresh pot met her and guided her to the kitchen. There was someone in there, as she acutely put together by the coffee smell and the slight ruckus from within.
“Good morning,” her words were half muffled by a yawn as she stretched out her back, arms to the ceiling.
“Good morning.” It was Pete in the kitchen, she could at least gather that much through the drowsy blur of her thoughts.
“You’re up early,” Zora went and leaned her elbows against the kitchen island, supporting her head in her hands.
“So are you,” he replied, she yawned again. “Coffee?”
“Please!”
He set down a steaming cup in front of her. “Milk or sugar?”
“Yes, please.” The vapours alone started to clear the brain fog. “Both.”
“Hungover?” he asked as he pushed the milk and sugar within her reach.
“No,” she skimped some milk into the cup, then adding two sugars, “just sleep drunk.” One corner of her lips curled as she grabbed the cup in both hands. “Luckily, there is a cure for that.” She took a big gulp.
“Well, it figures, since your brother came through looking for the same thing not long ago.”
“Mateo’s up?”
Pete nodded, he had a cup himself she noted. Well, she saw enough of her brother, so she was in no hurry to go and greet him good morning. She’d do better when caffeine had done it’s work on the both of them anyway.
“How is it looking out there?” She craned her neck, looking out the kitchen windows. “The snow has stopped, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it must have stopped sometime during the night. But the roads are all but gone under the snow.”
“But I will get home some time today, won’t I?” She sipped again.
“Naa,” Pete said with a half-smile, “haven’t you noticed? There is this very covert hostage situation going on.”
“Really?” She laughed. “And you plotted the weather in on your plans?”
“Of course!”
“Well, that explained the frightening night I had.”
“Frightening, you say?”
She grimaced. “The beds are terrible soft.” He laughed. “It’s true, I almost thought I’d be swallowed whole, there’s one reason not to leave right there.”
She chuckled. “It must be a winter wonderland out there,” her eyes lit up at the thought of the fluffy snow outside, then added, “which is fitting, I suppose.”
“Do you get out much these days?”
“Hiking you mean?” He nodded in answer. “I try whenever I can,” she shrugged. “Do you know Mr. Tremblay? He’s the old man,” she began to explain, but Pete looked puzzled and she waved it off and cut the explanation short, “Anyway he’s this old man I helped once and since then I get to borrow his small hunting cabin, he’s too old to get up there much, so sometimes I hike up there and spend the weekend.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “How about you?”
“A fair amount I’d say.” He looked, pondering, at her. “What would you say to head out into the snow next week, take one of the trails? We used to that, what happened?”
“Yeah, it’s been too long,” she agreed. She smiled, “sure, that be fun. When would be good for you? My schedule is pretty chill up until New Year’s.”
“Monday?”
“Actually Monday’s no good, I have this costumer coming in with a catalyser I need to check – “ She looked up to find him ginning. “Never mind, you don’t need the details. Would Tuesday work?”
“Sure!”
They agreed on time and place, all in all Zora was happy with their plans. Voices was reaching the kitchen from other parts of the house, it seemed like more of the guests were waking up.
“I should get back to my room,” she said smiling over her mug.
“Ben said he would be down and set up breakfast.”
“Oh, yeah I’ll be back, I just figured I should put on some clothes,” it had been around the third sip of coffee she had realised she had wandered down in her underwear and the large t-shirt she had manage to borrow for comfy sleepwear last night. But she was getting a bit chill, as the lingering warmth of bed left her, and if the house was waking up, for decency’s sake, she better put on something more. “Talk to you later?” He nodded and she left the kitchen, with a little more bounce to her step and cup in hand.
***
Zora had packed up her room, or not really packed since there wasn’t much packing to be done, but at least tidied it up after her stay there; leaving it way neater than her own rooms would ever be. After she had been up to dress earlier, she had headed down to breakfast with a growing number of awake guests. She had talked a bit with Mateo, agreeing to meet up at home later, and then she had caught herself in conversation with Alma’s brother, Seb, he had to remind her, to her own embarrassment. She had offered to drive him back into town. The morning was relaxed and enjoyable, but it was still a relief to hear that the roads were finally cleared.
She was heading down the stairs, ready to head home. Keys jingling in her hand, mind set on trying to locate her coat and then Seb, that was when she heard Max’s voice coming from somewhere, the lounge or library or whatever they would call the rooms in a huge house like this.
“The notorious sleeper has arisen I hear, one too many of ‘em drinks last night?” she said loudly as she poked her head around the open doorway. “Oh,” she uttered, talking step into the room, a hand on the doorpost, Max was sitting in an armchair, looking quite comfortable, but so was Ben and Pete, “’morning.”
“The early bird was chirping away at dawn no doubt, but then I remember you crashing pretty early,” he grinned.
“Yeah, yeah,” she rolled her eyes, she might have dozed in a corner of the sofa before Max had woken her and shooed her off to find a proper bed instead.
“Are joining us or are you planning on hugging the doorpost?”
“I’m quite comfortable here,” Zora grinned and leaned her head against said doorpost. “But no, I heard the roads were clear and I was actually heading out. Just wanted to say good morning, and goodbye.”
“You’re leaving already?” Pete asked.
“Yeah, unless this hostage situation is turning out to be true,” she said, and it earned her a grin from Pete.
“Oh, come on, you don’t have to hurry back,” Max exclaimed.
“Are you insinuating that I never have better things to do than hang with you?” She quipped. Not that she had much on her agenda that day. “Anyway, I don’t wanna interrupt you boys talking, and besides I promised Alma’s brother … Seb, to drive him back into town.” She tapped her fingers impatiently against the wall. “But I was wondering where I might find my coat. It was scurried away last night, that or something, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“The coatroom by the front door,” Ben offered.
“Oh, of course.” As in of course a huge house like this had a designated coat room, why hadn’t she thought of that? “Then I’ll let you get back to your chatting. Thank you, guys,” she directed the thanks to the brothers, “the party was lovely, as usual. As were the hospitality. And forward my thanks to Noah as well. Bye.”
She waved with her jingling keys but before she had more than time to duck out of the room, Max called her back. “’ey Zora, not so fast.”
“Yeah?” She asked, quizzical, as she poked her head back in.
“You still remember Sunday?”
“Sunday? What ever would happen on Sunday?” But her face split in two and gave her way. “Of course I remember, we are set for Sunday, what question is even that?” It had been long since they had hung out just the two of them and she was looking forward to the catch up.
“Just checking, between the drink and you falling asleep, I wasn’t sure how much you’d remember.”
“I am insulted,” but her happy expression undermined the words, “and you had way more to drink than I.” It was true, she hadn’t been that drunk, just tired towards the end.
“Hm,” he didn’t look convinced.
“So, I’ll come by at six?” She cut in, or it was a possibility the back and forth could be quite lengthy.
“Make it seven.”
“Great, I’ll see you then.” And she scurried off, call in “Bye!” from the hallway. Next up was finding, coat, finding Seb and then to drive home.
27th, Dinner with Mr. Masterchef
Zora was leaning back in her chair, her legs up resting on the seat of a second. (She might even have unbuttoned the top of her jeans.) The remains of dinner on the table, the tones of ska filling the background.
“I’m soo full,” she groaned, brushing her curls away. It would last but a minute then they would bounce right back, it was a futile battle.
“That’s what I like to hear,” he said. He was already up from the table, packing away the leftovers into containers. Whenever she was over for dinner, he always cooked or an additional handful of people. He claimed it was just an occupational habit, but since he sent the majority of the leftovers home with her, she had long suspected it was an effort not to have her live off just coffee and a bag of Doritos for at least the next few days. Well, it worked. And she would be the last to complain about it.
“You strive to hear me in pain?”
“Yes, I asked you here just to torture you,” he chuckled. “You want another beer?”
“No,” she sighed, “I swear there is not even room for that. You know, I wouldn’t need any wheels, right now I feel so full I could just roll my way home.” She grinned.
“I’d like to see that.”
“By the way, did I tell you how incredible the meal was? How much I enjoyed it, thank you and all that?”
“Yes, you did,” he laughed, “in your own special language. Fortunately, I speak it by now.”
It was weird. They hadn’t known each-other for so long, a couple of years only, but it had been much less than that when she had started to feel like she had known him for a lifetime. Their friendship had come so naturally and with such ease.
“Speaking of wheels though, I found an ad on that Honda I’ve been looking for –“
“Wait which was it? No, don’t tell me I know I know this one, Honda CP, no CB…1?”
“Yeah, CB-1, aka CB400F, 399cc straight four engine –“
“Well, there was never a way I’d remember all that, but at least I do listen.”
“I do applaud you.”
“If I’d listen to all the mechanic nonsense you spoke, I’d have nothing else in my head,” he ginned as the took her plate to load into the dishwasher.
“I should help you with that.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, but really. You spoil me. Either I help or I will have to start tipping you.”
“Oh, that wouldn’t be awkward at all.”
She grimaced and stood (rebuttoning that top bottom). She started gather up the empty beer bottles on the table.
“So, what about the Honda? Is this you telling me you bought it already?” He started filling the sink with hot water to wash the pots and knives. (Trying help once, placing the knives in the dishwasher, she had earned herself a lengthy lecture on why you should never do if you had any respect for your tools.)
“Oh, no not yet. It’s in Quebec –“
“You couldn’t find one that wasn’t all the way across the country?”
“Yeah, not very convenient and, I don’t know…I don’t feel right in my tummy.” She had grabbed the towel, ready to dry the clean dishes, but ended up just leaning against the counter.
“That’s because you ate too much.”
She laughed out loud. “I didn’t mean it like that, I meant gut feeling, you know?”
“I’ve never known you to stop and listen to your gut before charging straight into something, only to stop and think two days later…”
“Ouch,” she scoffed, “I’m not all that bad. And, besides for that price, it was in kind of crappy condition.”
It was perhaps why she had brought it, it was easier to have Max tell her it was a stupid idea, than realising it herself when she was halfway across the country trying to bring the bike back in the middle of winter. Still, she knew he would assist her in doing just that if she had been rash enough to buy the damn thing.
“Now are you actually going to be of use with that thing?” He was referring to the towel she was wringing through her hands. “Not that I would mind some more tips.”
“Ha, ha, ha” she said dryly, whipping the towel him before actually starting to be useful.
29th, On the topic of Brothers
They had managed to pick the perfect day for it, they really had. The sun had peaked through the clouds, along with blue sky. The air was crisp, the snow light and glistening in the cold.
“Your stamina is something,” Zora said, a little out of breath, there had been a climb, now flattening to smoother walking again, and the snow pulled a little extra on each step.
“Girl, you’re not too bad yourself,” he had stopped just ahead of her, he was grinning widely. His breathing wasn’t completely unlaboured, which made her feel a little better. Perhaps it was her shorter legs that had her lagging behind.
“Isn’t it marvellous?” She had stopped too, listening. Except for their own breathing it was quiet.
“The snow seems to swallow all sound.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
It might have been half a minute, or perhaps two whole, during they stood there, listening and catching their breaths.
When they started walking again, so did the talking.
“I talked a little with Renon at the party,” Zora offered up casually. She wouldn’t have called herself a gossip, gaggling her mouth around town, but anyone with ears were aware of the recent ‘addition’ to the Fitzgerald family.
“You did?” His small smirk at the words didn’t pass her unnoticed. “So what did you think of him?”
“Oh, it wasn’t much more than introductions and how do you do’s, but he seemed nice.”
“Yeah, I like him but then I might be the only one.”
“Ben’s not too happy about him?”
“How could you tell?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, perhaps him avoiding Renon at the Christmas party wasn’t too subtle. I might even have seen a seething glare.”
“You’re not wrong, Ben’s far from thrilled. I’d say he’s overreacting.”
“What’s Noah take on him ?”
“That’s the thing, we kind of balance it out. I like him, Ben wants nothing to do with him and Noah, he just doesn’t seem to care.”
“Hm…” she let her thought ponder, “you seem calm about the whole situation.”
“It is what it is, we have a brother. It’s far from the worst thing that could happen.”
“I can imagine a lot of shittier things actually.”
“Ben’s not even so sure about the fact that Renon is our brother, he wants to do a DNA-test. Noah rather just not deal with it at all, says it would be better throw him some money and have him leave.”
“I would call that a being more hostile than disinterested.”
Pete shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“I have no idea, what I would’ve done in your shoes, but I can say, I’m very happy with just the one brother,” she grinned. “I just mean, Mateo – I love him to death, but…” she searched for the right words.
“Oh, yeah I get it,” Pete chuckled, and she thought he really did.
“Sometimes I just thinks he still sees me as a twelve year old girl,” she huffed, “I bet you don’t have that problem.”
“Not really, no,” Pete chuckled.
“Still, it’s sure nice to have them, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
30th, Let's!
Zora had been into town running some errands that morning before the days work. Yesterdays hike had energized her, and she was in a happy mood. A little soreness had crept into her muscles over the night, but it was the pleasurable pain of working out, once she was up and running it didn’t bother her.
It was natural for her to stop by the Eatery before heading back to the shop, stopping for a chat with Max and a real nice cup of coffee. Finding the time later than she thought, she had parts arriving which she needed to get back to sign for, she had to grab it to go. Which was perhaps for the best, she didn’t want to hold Max up when the Eatery was a busy as it was. There was a least time to change a few words with him while the espresso machine worked. Then it was time to be out the door.
But she had to step to the side and let someone in first. It was Seb.
“Good morning,” she greeted with a smile, ready to slip past him out through the open door, but…
“Oh, Zora, good morning.”
… his words stopped her. “Small town life still treating you all right?” She asked conversationally.
“Just fine,” he said with a half-smile. “Hey, thanks again for the ride Friday.” He had to step out of the way from the door, as more costumers came in.
“Don’t worry about it, always happy to help.” She waved away his apology.
“I’d buy you a coffee as thanks, but I see you already got one.” She was starting to say something quippy in answer but he beat her to it. “Or how, about I get to buy you a drink tonight instead?”
“Oh,” her surprise clear on her face.
“Perhaps you are busy already,” he said, ready to give her an easy out by the look of her face.
“Oh, no,” her surprise broken by a warm smile. “Let’s! Tonight would be great.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll meet you at Cake?” She tucked a curl behind her ear.
He nodded.
“Great, sorry but I do need to run,” she smiled apologetically.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“It’s fine, but I’ll see you tonight.” They said good bye and she called bye to Max before she was out the door, rushing.
***
The actual drinks convo coming here.
I'm chipping away at it!
Last edited by tricole (13/01/2021 at 13:46)
