Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer. They are being borrowed and returned hopefully in about the same shape they were taken in. Jeff, Emmy, and just about everyone else, belong to me. You can use them if you like, just return them please.
Chapter 31
The gang met up at the local "old peoples" restaurant; a buffet called Sweet Tomatoes. It had a pleasant atmosphere, and the food was all very healthy as well as good. Rick liked it because it was healthy for you and delicious. He believed that these two things did not often come together. He was a firm believer in the Savage Garden line "I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you." Sweet Tomatoes was another story entirely. He had first come to eat here when one of his clients, a girl named Desiree, had decided to move out of state. She had asked him do background checks on four or five different guys, Rick never did find out why. However, she was also a health nut, and so had taken him and Jeff out for a goodbye dinner. After that, they were hooked, and anytime they had a client who was over thirty-five come into the shop, they took them to eat at Sweet Tomatoes.*
As they sat down to dinner, Amanda was the first to speak, "I'm actually surprised you guys would pick a place this... healthy. I always remember you being more of a hotdog and peanuts kind of guy."
Rick laughed, "I still am a hotdog guy, but you know traveling around the world expands your view of food."
"Tomorrow you should make him cook," interjected Jeff, "He makes some of the most amazing Hispanic food I've ever tasted, and I grew up in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood, so I know Hispanic food."
Amanda looked shocked, "You've learned how to cook, too?"
Rick smiled, and shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure all Immortals do at some point. It's either that or eat nothing but frozen foods and well, that gets really expensive outside the States."
"True," she replied, then changed the subject, "I have a question for all of you. How do you feel about leaving for Paris on Monday? One of the guys who often employs my three beautiful models wants me back in town to help supervise the girls while he gets everything ready for his show, so I need to get back."
The men exchanged glances, and then Jeff spoke, "Okay, so I know the three of you are loaded, but even if I can get reimbursed by the Watchers, I still have to buy my ticket first, and last minute overseas tickets are not what I'd call cheap." He wore a pained expression as he thought about the likely price of a ticket.
Rick elbowed him. "I'll pay for it, Jeff. You know that's not a problem. You're only going because of me, anyway."
"Well, then I don't really have a reason to say no. Marcus is going to nail that Immortal serial killer, probably tonight, and that's on his Watcher to record. So I'm open until August. Oh, and Rick, I'm not just going because of you, I'm also going to get some more practice."
Emmy nodded, "Nothing's stopping me either; I really don't work that many hours at the bookshop anyway. I can tell Steven I'm leaving town and he'll just give away my hours. There are tons of other people who want them. That just leaves you, Rick. Are you going to be able to wrap things up with your store by Monday?"
He gave her a particularly warm smile. "I should be able to. Mike and Manuel both have their own keys, it's not like I worry about them ripping me off. I'll let them know I'm taking some time off. I think it may give Mike a heart attack."
The other three laughed, and the conversation began to wander off to other subjects. Rick stayed quiet for a while, thinking about how crazy it was that he was going to see Mac so soon, after all this time away. Tomorrow, he would have to call Joe.
Jeff started packing the moment he got home. He knew he had several days before they left, but he was forgetful, and wanted to get a head start. The last thing he wanted to do was arrive at the airport without his passport, or worse, without his camera.
He loved his camera the way some people love their dogs. It was like his pet. It even had a name, though no one else knew that. He knew sometimes Rick thought he was nuts the way he handled it, but then Rick really had no room to talk in Jeff's eyes. He was just as obsessed, if not more, with motorcycles. After all, the man owned about five, and he made his living fixing other peoples'. If that was not an obsession, Jeff didn't know what was.
He only had two cameras; Betsy, his baby, and Ralph the outcast. Ralph had been bought right after he turned eighteen. It was an old digital camera that could not even use a card bigger than a 2G, and did not work well without really good lighting. Yet Jeff could not bear to get rid of it. It had been the first digital camera he ever owned; it carried some really fond memories. Like the scrapbooking class he took at the college. Every girl in that class had thought he was gay. Since he had not found any of them extremely attractive, he had played along. He learned a lot about girls during that class, including some things he really had not wanted to know, that contradicted long-held prejudices. He also learned that women who like to scrapbook often know more about cameras then men who like gadgets.
It was through these girls that Jeff had found his first camera store, and from there he had gone through two or three cameras until he found Betsy. She was his dream camera. He could do every affect he wanted with the camera itself. It had seven different detachable lenses to deal with different lighting, distances, and types of photos. She was the queen of all cameras, and she was the first thing Jeff packed. Then he started packing everything else.
For some reason, he really did not want to look like a regular American for this trip. He wanted to look like he was somebody. Oh, not for any reason in particular, but because he had fun with things like that. It was what made him such a good actor. He had taken theatre all four years of high school and college, and had done a year of community theatre as well. After that, he got too busy with his three different jobs. Now, as he was going to France, he wanted all that acting to be put to use. He wanted to look like he belonged on the side of the runway, shooting photos of pretty, scantily clad women.
As he looked at his wardrobe, he realized that if he were to manage that, he was going to need some help. He pushed the three on his speed dial, and was not surprised when Emmy picked up after only a ring.
"I just saw you, what's up?" she asked in a slightly scolding tone.
"I need some fashion help."
"Okay, what do you want?" Emmy was immediately interested.
"I want you to come over and tell what I should pack to look like a professional photographer."
She laughed, "That's not really my forte. How about I ask Amanda to come with me, and she can give you some tips?"
"Sounds good. If anyone will know how they dress over there, it'll be the woman who works in the industry."
*This story and many of the descriptions of Fort Myers are taken from my own life. I lived there for about 5 months, and I think it's my favorite city in the world. I am not sure I'd live there full time ever again, but I would kill to visit again.
