Kate looks like a woman who has gotten very little sleep, but there is a smile on her face. She stands at her counter, notebook open as she juices a lemon into a small bowl. It looks like she is prepping something extra for breakfast today, another bowl set off to the side. She is dressed comfortably in a pair of light gray sweat pants, a thin white tee shirt, a matching sweat shirt tied around her waist. Charlotte is in attendance this morning, chattering to Kate as she bakes about the things that have gone on in her absence.
No one likely pays all that much attention to Sam as far as his comings and goings are concerned. If anyone did, they'd know he was an early riser and had likely been awake for several hours already. They'd also know that he wasn't here last night, but had come back to his room just a couple hours ago. Since then he'd managed to shower and change and when he eventually comes into the kitchen it likely looks like he's just getting up. Aside from looking quite awake. He's casually dressed with well fit faded blue jeans and a black belt along with a simple cotton undershirt with a zippered hoodie pulled over top. The hoodie is a deep wine red with black accents on the arms.
He's lost in his thoughts when he pushes into the kitchen, taking a moment to register the two women and the fact that one of them is Kate, returned from her trip. "Good morning." He offers them after a brief pause, making his way toward the espresso machine.
Katherine gives Charlotte a bit of side eye at something she says, right when Sam walks in. To say she's startled is an understatement. "Sam." She greets him, flashing a smile in his direction. "Good morning, are you always up this early?" She pulls a bowl of dry bowl of ingredients toward her, blinking a few times. "Making scones, with some lemon curd." She says, shifting a bit so he can get to the espresso machine easier. There is a shiny new mixer on the counter and she starts adding things to it. "How were things here while I was gone?"
The shorter woman, the redhead, speaks up. "I cooked everything you told me to cook, when you told me to cook it. Also, you have three messages from Heather, one wanting to know if you brought the couriered gift to Paris home?" She shoots Kate a confused look, eyebrows quirked. Kate sighs at the question and shakes her head. "Apparently trying to get five gallons of lube through security is impossible, so no.. Lube stayed in Paris."
"Slept in a bit today, to be honest." Sam remarks, doing the dance with the machine while trying to take up as little space as possible. He doesn't like the thought of being in the way of the breakfast creation process. "I'm usually most productive between dawn and noon, so I try not to sleep through too much of it." He adds by way of explanation, turning to look between Kate and Charlotte. "Everything here was great while you were gone, Kate." A brief pause. "I mean, not because you were gone. You were missed. But, everything seemed to be running smoothly from my point of view." He gestures toward Charlotte, giving her that credit.
He takes the cup out of the machine once the drink is produced and slips over to the other side of the counter, not able to keep his laughter in at the conversation between the two women. "That's a lot of lube, Kate. I - " He really doesn't know what more to say. "How was your trip?" He tries instead, but is still grinning.
Charlotte looks pleased that she's being praised a bit, puffing up before she sets down the sheaf of messages. "I'll go put the laundry in the dryer Kate, don't forget the two thirty this afternoon!" She scurries from the kitchen after waving happily at Sam.
Kate chuckles softly as she nods toward Sam. "I'm glad. During some floods we had last year? I had to refund people a day's worth of rent due to some issues here, and loss of power. It was ..not great." She makes a face when he laughs, groaning softly. "I woke up my second day there, and Heather had sent it. Something about Paris having three things that I needed to do. Culture, pastries and menage a trois." She slants a look at Sam, rolling her eyes. "I didn't bother to tell her that I'm in a committed relationship or she'd give me a fuckbuddy speech all over again. She's very adamant that I get one, it's probably why she sent the lube." She adds butter and eggs to the mixer, slowing it down once the stuff inside starts to turn into a dough. "I'm normally up at around four, maybe a little after, so I can get breakfast prepared before I run to the studio…but today was weird, I haven't been to bed yet."
"Five gallons though? That's enough lubricant for half of Paris to be queuing up." Sam says with a laugh, shaking his head. "Meeting Heather sounds like something I really need to make a priority. Does she follow her own advice? Or is it only /you/ that needs that particular attention? It's nice that she worries." He adds the last with a sharp grin. Uh huh. "More importantly than that, did you enjoy the culture and pastries and the cooking and the scenery and … everything? I really want to ask you about every single detail. I'm also aware that you haven't slept at all, so I'm trying to take it easy." He leans against the counter and sips at his drink, watching her work on the breakfast with interest. He can't really cook, but it's always fascinating to see her at work.
"Five. Fucking. Gallons." Katherine states, a droll look on her face as she smirks toward Sam. "I think it's me that gets this attention. I'm fairly certain that she thinks that I'm a prude, or an Ice Queen, and wants someone to fuck me loose. She has no idea, and I'd rather not give her one. Let her continue to believe me to be some sort of saintly homebody." She takes a sip of her coffee off to the side, setting it down so she can roll the dough out of the mixing bowl. "I enjoyed Paris a lot. I came back with almost twenty cook books. I have a brand new pen pal that I pretended to sleep with my first night there. My classes were amazing, and the guy who taught me…well he was so kind, he gave me two handwritten books of recipes." She lights up talking about the class, turning to beam at Sam. She scoots past him, opening the fridge to pull out blue berries. "You want a breakfast sandwich while I finish and pop these scones into the oven?" A beat. "You don't have to take it easy, I'm so wired right now I could probably continue to cook, while dancing and singing, and this is only my second cup of coffee."
"Do I have to pay extra for the performance?" Sam asks, his expression clearly amused by Katherine's wired state. "You're going to crash so hard at some point today, Katherine Stone. And you're going to have no idea what time it is for the next few days while you readjust. It's a great ride." He pushes a hand through his hair, watching Katherine move around the kitchen while he listens to her high level summary of the trip, smile tugging at his lips the entire time. He loves hearing about anyone's travels, but Kate's excitement is really infectious. "I'm so glad it was amazing. I knew it was going to be, but you know. It's different levels of amazing. Sounds like you managed to get the high level."
He shakes his head at the offer of food. "I can wait until things are done. Don't need to make anything extra. Ok. So the cooking classes sound like they were incredible. And I'm sure we'll all be tasting that for awhile. Twenty cook books! Your bags must have been bursting. And you're going to have to tell me how you made a pen pal who you pretended to sleep with?" Sam doesn't comment any further on Heather's impression of Katherine, more focused on the trip.
"I hope to crash hard very much later." Kate remarks, wrinkling her nose as she gently adds blueberries to the dough on the counter. She sprinkles down some flour and gently kneads it. "Also, I made stuff for breakfast sandwiches earlier, you only have to choose what you want, and it's just a matter of tossing it together and making it warm." She hums lightly to herself as she kneads, and then she gently separates the dough into six triangles, lifting each one on to the baking sheet. "The classes were amazing. The Chef, his name was Luca, imagine that. He showed me how to make a nice chocolate croissant using 'American' butter, which he said while looking down his nose. So I have that recipe, and then he taught me how to make Cassoulet, Coq au vin, and a few other things." She smirks and adds, her voice quiet. "He also tried to kiss me, but I think he mistook my excitement for cooking.. so.." She clears her throat and sets the timer on the oven. "First night we got there, we went out to a bar. Did some shots. Danced. Met a group of guys, and it just turns out that the guy I met? Very much in the closet. So he and I ended up talking most of the night away, and he turned out to be a real sweetheart, and a great cuddle. Though I will likely never admit to that, because I have a very jealous Arabic ..boyfriend sounds so stupid. Uh.. lover? That will do."
"Oh, don't get me started on that. I think our language has a serious hole when it comes to describing - well, that. Do I say girlfriend? Am I in elementary school? Lover makes it sound like it's just about sex. Which is fine if that's the case, but … Significant other? No. That doesn't work either. And saying 'person I'm dating' is a bit wordy. I don't know. It makes me want to get engaged to everyone I date just because I think 'fiancee?' is a better word." Well, Sam got started anyway. Clearly that's a pet peeve. At least it prevents him from thinking too much about how that very jealous Arabic boyfriend might feel about the amount of time that Sam and Kate have spent together in the last couple weeks.
"Sorry, I digress. Your trip. That's all fantastic. The French are a very passionate people - I can understand why the chef may have mistaken your enthusiasm for something more. Though, hopefully he was polite when you made it clear it was really just about the food." Sam chuckles. "And did you enjoy the time spend with Esme? I know you were hoping to get a bit closer, and nothing quite like traveling to force that issue.?
"August says I should call him my sex poppet." Kate remarks, turning to grin at Sam, her arms folding loosely over her chest. "He just gave me a look. Something about not needing to define it yet." She rolls her eyes and reaches for her coffee cup, sighing softly. "Luca was very nice once he realized that I was just super excited about the food. He said something about me being lovely and he couldn't help himself. Since he gave me so much to cook and so much advice about little things in the kitchen? I'll forgive him wholeheartedly." She moves to refill her cup, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I had a lot of fun with Esme. She's..quite a woman. That's…putting it mildly really. She dove into Paris life like she could have lived there. I was happy to see her enjoy it so much."
"She did seem excited about the idea of going somewhere that she could shrug off her day-to-day. You build up a particular image and when you live in a small place like this it's hard to shake that without it becoming some massive scandal. I'm glad she was able to go and enjoy herself and hopefully she'll be able to bring some of that back home with her. Seems she's wanting to be a bit more than a wall flower these days." Sam seems genuinely happy to hear about Esme. About everything, really. He moves past Kate to set his empty espresso cup in the sink, taking a pause in peppering her with questions for a moment. "It has been a pretty quiet week around here, at least for me. That means I've been productive with my work, at least. Spent time with Layla when we weren't working. Otherwise… " He shakes his head. "That's about it."
"Boy you're preaching to the choir there." Kate mutters, shifting a look at Sam when he mentions shaking off an image close to home. "She enjoyed herself, and she was a heck of a lot more outgoing than I've ever seen her be. If she was happy, I was happy. What happens in Paris, hopefully will stay there." She gazes steadily at Sam, blinking slowly for a few moments as she considers her words. "Winter is a quiet season. It's the best time to connect with the people who mean something to you, because the weather is dour. You don't feel the urgency to go outside all the time to enjoy the warmth and the sun. So..enjoy that quiet, because summer around here is a little busier than winter." She turns to look in the oven door, a slow smile spreading on her lips. "Scones will be done soon. Have you ever had one with clotted cream?" She pushes herself away from the counter, moving to take another sip of coffee.
"I'm slowly adjusting to it. In New York you're anonymous. Coming here? I feel very connected to the town in such a short amount of time." Sam says this neutrally, perhaps unsure if it's a good or bad thing at this point. He meets Kate's eyes when she talks about the seasons, nodding very slightly when she finishes the thought. "I do look forward to some warmth again. But, there is something to be said for the winter keeping us all searching for warmth in the company of friends." He moves across the room to settle himself in one of the chairs at the table, turning it so he's still facing Kate. "I haven't tried one with clotted cream, but if that's an option I'm up to try it. And you mentioned cassoulet? When you mentioned making me a special meal for my naming efforts before we left - well, that would be amazing. You'll get to cook your new recipes and pay your 'debt' at the same time."
"Here everyone knows you. They judge you on every decision you make. Sure they might not say it to your face, but you can see it in their eyes." Kate licks her lips slowly, keeping her eyes on her hands as she speaks. She turns to get the clotted cream from the fridge, using a spoon to put some into a small porcelain bowl. The timer goes off for the scones and she pulls them from the oven, putting one on a small plate. She carries these over to Sam, still avoiding his eyes as she sets both down. "Enjoy, and don't worry Sam. The warmth is coming, sometimes it sneaks up on us." She turns then to move back around the counter, getting herself a small serving of cream to go with her scone. "You like cassoulet? Consider it done, we'll have it tomorrow evening, hmm? I'd say tonight, but I'm not staying here tonight." She looks up at him then, smiling briefly, before she turns to put the cream away. "You should invite Layla up to have dinner with us. August will be here, possibly Anthony and we'll see who else. I'm supposed to go shopping with Auggie tomorrow so I have clothes for the new show. Apparently shlubbing around in jeans and flannel won't do when you're trying to be edgy." She breaks her scone open and spreads the clotted cream where she is going to bite from. She nips at it and closes her eyes.
Sam watches while Katherine moves around the room and clearly avoiding eye contact a small frown tugging at his lips, but before he can really form that into a question or comment the moment has passed and it's back to food and cheer. He doesn't consider it judgement to say that Katherine uses food to bury a lot of other things - shit, she had admitted it on a few different occasions. Everyone needs to find a way to cope. "I'm sure she'd love that. And I know I would." Sam replies to the invitation for dinner, pushing a smile back onto his lips again. "I haven't crossed paths with August this week yet. I did leave her an offering of cupcakes which were gone by the time I'd returned. But, we should be clear to get a tour of those book shelves of yours sometime soon." He turns his attention to the scone after spreading cream on it. He doesn't try to prevent the little sound of pleasure at the feel of the warmth and the flavours of the scone and cream. He closes his eyes a moment while he chews, taking another bite as soon as he can. "I don't know an Anthony." He remarks after that bite is done.
"Anthony is August's..person." Kate isn't sure how to describe that relationship, so she keeps it simple. "I'm sure she'd love to have us over, and I plan on taking her more cupcakes, because I honestly need some myself." She laughs softly and pushes her fingers through her hair, taking another bite of her scone. "He and Sevin don't get along though, so it often turns into having one here or the other. We'll see how that goes." She lets out a sigh at that, spreading more cream on her scone. "I dance a lot with people, this person doesn't get along with this person. This person is opinionated and might say something off color that pisses off that person. It's kind of like a recipe. You bring all the ingredients together and hope things don't turn out bitter." She lifts her gaze to Sam, clearly trying to keep her expression neutral. "Hello, my name is Kate, and I have made it a lifetime habit to over think everything." She lifts her brow, letting that settle in the air before she takes another bite of her scone. "So, if you're ever here, and I seem like I'm as tense as a tripwire, hello…that's why. I'm trying to keep things from exploding, if only in my mind."
"You try to get along with everyone, though?" Sam asks, watching Kate curiously while he takes another bite of his scone. "Sorry, that sounds accusatory. I didn't mean it that way. I'm a lot like that. It's not universal, but I try to appreciate everyone on some level. I've had occasions where I've had people screaming at me that they can't believe I'd associate with so and so because of this or that." He takes a great interest in his scone for a few seconds while he thinks through his thoughts. "If you're bringing very different people together all the time it is a bit of a high wire act to keep it all from crashing down around you. But, it's admirable. We all prefer to stay in our safe bubbles."
Kate gazes at Sam, blinking a few times before she leans on her hands, speaking quietly. "I try to be nice to everyone, and I'll be honest with you right now because I'm sleep deprived, but if it ever comes up again, you'll just get a blank look from me." She swallows and frowns. "I give everyone the public face, and persona. I'm as friendly as I can be to a point. I never forget what a person has done to me, and I rarely ever forgive them. I hold that in a secret place where only I get to deal with it." She tilts her head, exhaling slowly. "Nobody should ever shape your view of someone without an excellent reason to do so, and I try very hard to keep that in mind when people ask me about people, places and things. Though there are times when I want to be a…see you next Tuesday, and just speak my bloody mind." She pushes away from the counter and pulls a basket from under the sink, setting scones in it after she puts down a soft piece of cheesecloth. "It's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to this show so much. It's a chance to actually say what I feel, without having to worry what someone is going to think of me." She steals a look at Sam, forcing a smile. "Even if they'll judge me when they watch it, but that's after the fact and it'll be out there. It will be real."
Sam keeps his own expression carefully blank while he listens to Kate's quiet explanation, giving the faintest nod of his head just before she gets up to start moving around the kitchen again. He doesn't say anything right away, instead taking a bite of his scone and chewing it thoughtfully. He finally sighs. "I understand, Kate. Or I'm going to tell you that I do. As much as we can really understand what another person is dealing with. And I'm not going to tell you you're doing it wrong. We all figure out what works for us. I hope you do what you need to take care of yourself. Self care is important. And - well, just find me if I can ever be an ear. Unless it's about me … then you should likely tell someone else." He smiles, trying to lighten his comments a bit before taking the last bite of the scone. After he finishes chewing he continues - "And I hope having the show helps. It sounds like it will be a great outlet to actually be yourself."
"I'm not the best as self care. Never have been. I've been taking care of other people long enough that it has become my default. It's great for the hospitality business, but it sucks in some other areas of life." Kate shrugs and grins over at Sam. "I use your ear too much already, you're going to think badly of me soon enough, and then I'll be sad." She wipes up, scrubs down and basically cleans the mess she made baking, one thing at a time. "Honestly, completely honestly, I doubt I'll find something to say badly about you. You manage to keep yourself where you say just enough to share, without saying too much. You are at times generous and cautious with your opinions and thoughts." She rinses out the coffee pot and starts to prepare another. "I think you hold back, but that's how it should be at first. While finding new friends is a treat, trusting them is something else all together."
"I'm not without fault, Kate. But, I hope you don't find anything too sour. I'll see about keeping my skeletons firmly locked in the closet." Sam gives a quick grin, shaking his head and standing up from the kitchen table to stretch, then bring his plate over to the sink. "And I do hold back. It's too easy to come into someone's life and think you have all the answers. I don't really appreciate when I meet people who tell me they've got it all figured out for me. So, I try not to act that way with others." He washes his hands quickly in the sink and then steps back out of Kate's way. "I'm glad your trip was amazing. And I'll want to hear more details, but if I get too much into it I'll spend the entire day here. I'm sure you have other things to accomplish and I should go do a bit more work now that I've had a break. And those scones - fantastic. Thank you."
"Feel free to get more when you want them, they'll be down here. I'll cook something before I head off for the night, and Charlotte will be bunking in my room in case of an emergency." Kate chuckles at the other subjects, but doesn't elaborate. "You take care, Sam. Thank you for talking Paris with me."