Joshua glanced around the sandwich shop as he entered, the little bell going off over his head. It wasn't a bad location, he decided--busy enough that they wouldn't stand out, but not crowded either so they would have a chance to sit away from everyone else and talk. The large windows of the storefront left a bit to be desired, though. Too much opportunity to be seen, or magicked, or sniped.
He wanted to believe he was just being paranoid, but he knew too well that in this city, even the third option was possible.
Not seeing Mirage (he thinks briefly of that black hair, and blushes, and pushes the thought away), he takes the best seat he can find--one that gives a good view of the store, and the street outside, and the door. He'd like to have his back to something solid, but this will have to do. And he waits.
Mirage shows up soon after Joshua, she's wearing a form fitting but conservative white dress that's hem touches the skin just above her knees. On the skinniest part of the dress she wears a thin black belt with a small shiny silver clip to accent her form and to contrast the plain white dress the way the long locks of black hair did on the dress's shoulders. Her height comes to about 5'1 while she's wearing her favorite silver heels so she's difficult to find in a crowd at times but she sees the Sentential siting with his back basically on a wall looking almost mofia like, nervousness strikes her as she approaches but she puts on a confident smile and extend a hand. "Mr. Morris?"
Joshua sees her come in, and in the time it takes her to get to the table he's chosen he's able to get himself under some form of control. It's not that he clams up around every woman, but she is undoubtedly beautiful--and most of the women he's known over the years certainly don't dress like this.
So that part of him that feels like wolf-whistling, he manages to subdue as she approaches and extends her hand. He reaches out and takes it, shaking it firmly but gently. He clears his throat before saying, "It's good to see you again, Mirage. Would you care to sit, or would you like to place an order first?"
Mirage declines the seat, "I'll get us something." She winks at him then walks over to the counter where a man in a apron had stood, watching in her direction since he noticed her. She smiles at him like their familiar and exchanges a few words that are out of Joshua's hearing range but he's almost certain are flirty then the man hands her two, paper wrapped, sandwiches a teen in the back hand been making since she walked in. She grabs two bottles of water from a cooler on her way back to Joshua, "Turkey or Italian? Beggars can't be choosers it seems." She takes the seat in front of him and in a low voice, "if you uncomfortable here, we'll have our talk back at the office. Its not far from here."
Joshua finds himself blushing again when she winks at him. Not for the first time, he finds himself wishing he knew Life or Mind so he could hide these sorts of reactions.
"Italian, please," he says when she returns with the sandwiches. "And the office would be grand, yes. Thank you."
Mirage slides his sandwich to him across his table, "lets walk, the sun's going down so its not too hot and its literally two buildings over.." She waves to the guy at the counter that gave her the sandwiches and he waves back then makes a gesture that makes Mirage giggle but Joshua doesn't get. "Ready?" She asks looking back to the Sentential.
Joshua pockets the sandwich for now, smoothly rising from his seat (immediately and reflexively smoothing his windbreaker to cover the holster beneath) as he nods to Mirage. "I'm all set," he says to her, trying to sound exceptionally casual and not looking at that white dress or that hair or those legs at all. Honest.
Mirage takes the lead and Joshua gets the perfect opportunity to watch her gently swaying hips, in their form fitting but office appropriate dress, without her notice, all the way to the building's elevator. Upon entering the elevator she picks out the 23 button, it lights up, and the doors clank shut behind Joshua. She turns to him smiling, "I wonder if the Deacon's left yet." They hear a ding and the elevator opens on the 23'rd floor to large waiting room with a desk on one end and a couple of couches and low tables to the sides. Mirage takes her sandwich to one of the tables and sits down to unwrap it. "Have a seat." She motions for Joshua to come sit next to her if he'd like.
Oh, I hope he hasn't left yet, please let him still be there Joshua thinks fervently. Just before the elevator doors open on the 23rd floor he thinks, Wait. What Path is she? Oh God she's not Mastigos, is she? Can she read my mind? She could be reading it right now this whole time oh Christ.
Instead of sitting next to her, Joshua takes a seat across from her at the table. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me," he says, not looking at her; instead he focuses on unwrapping his sandwich, finding the waxed paper to be oh-so-interesting and requiring his complete attention.
Mirage seems completely oblivious to Joshua's thoughts, she just keeps giving him polite smiles while he settles in. The sandwich is pretty good the little deli that Mirage picked sure had something going for it. "So, what did you want to talk about? Or should I page Eclipse and see if he's available?"
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