Strange Bits (Closed for Scuttles)

[Mephistophelily]

Amy hated planes. She hated them with a passion. Just the idea of even being in the airport was bothering her, currently standing in the main foyer and nibbling the side of her thumb. This was absolutely infuriating. She wanted this trip, absolutely; but the plane was one of her many concerns on it.

It was a bait-and-switch tactic on her boss' part. The promise of a wonderful vacation in Hawaii, all expenses paid, right down to the massage tables and hula lessons.

..Except...
Of COURSE there was an "except" involved.

They needed to take part in a sales seminar, to encourage higher potentials in the next quarter; new tactics, new presentations, new ideas to set forth for customers.

And in that came the other concern.

The fact there was a "they".

Her main rival at the office, the man she'd been at odds with for over a year now. They had been hired about the same time, even mentored under the same manager. How the rivalry even came about was still a bit unknown... Perhaps it was the both of them getting praises from said manager. That comment on "Someday you may even get my job. Well, One of you may."
That right there. That had to have been the biggest push. Almost like the quote from the old Highlander Movies. There Can Be Only One.

...Not that Amy ever watched those movies.

She sighed, looking back to those sliding doors and waiting still. There was supposed to be at least three others coming along for this, their manager... Another trainee... and him. Amy peered back up at the clock, checking the time as she wheeled her luggage bags back around to the food court. She was a few hours early, still afraid on the whole security checkpoints and such. Their flight was at 4. It was only 2. Still, she preferred to be safe and not sorry.

More Dramamine. She'd need to remember to get that from the gift shop. And some Pepto. And spare "accidental bags".

Settled in at one of the tables, she had managed to get a bottle of water from one of the vending machines, sipping it gently and watching the doors with the other various people coming and going. Her foot rested against the stack of bags beside her, a quartet of grey and pink plaid luggage pieces.

Another little yellow cab.
The man that stepped out was a face she knew, and immediately narrowed her eyes. Oh, look. He was trying to be early too.

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

Eli glanced at his watch as the cab pulled to the curb, happy to see it was only a few minutes past two. The flight wasn't until four, but he wanted to be there, show himself for the eager beaver he knew they wanted.

Tipping the driver after he pulled Eli's bags out of the back, he was just inside the sliding glass doors when he stopped in his tracks, eyes widening behind dark sunglasses.

Sonofabitch.

There she was.

He knew she'd be here, of course, they were both told in advance that this was more than just a good-job-here's-a-nice-reward-for-you type of trip, but he hadn't expected her to beat him here. He only hoped their manager wasn't here yet, so she would out-eager him.

Standing there, his eyes quickly swept the area around her before he was sufficiently satisfied that he had arrived before them. Turning then, he ducked into one of the newsstand shops to buy an overpriced bottle of water. He wasn't terribly thirsty, but having something to occupy his mouth might be a good idea while waiting for everyone else to arrive. No reason to start bickering before they were even in the air. After paying the ridiculous amount they were charging for a bit of water surrounded by a bit of plastic, he sighed heavily and turned back in her direction.

Show time.

Plastering a false smile on his face, he left the newsstand with rolling luggage in tow and made his way in her direction. It wouldn't due to have the others show up and have two people that were supposed to work together not sitting together, so they'd simply have to suck it up and deal until they didn't have to any longer.

Pseudosmile fully in place, he stopped at her table and nodded, his only greeting a curt, "Hey," before he slid into the seat diagonal from hers. They might have to be sitting together, but it didn't mean they had to be facing each other. Right?

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Good morning," Amy replied just as curtly, sipping her drink and glancing at him. Her smile may have been sweet, but it certainly did little to hide the sarcasm in her voice. "This does count as morning for you, right? I mean, you never actually seem to get into the office until about 2, so I just assumed..." She trailed off, shrugging and looking back over to the terminal.

Hmph.
Their boss needed to get here soon. It was torture to not be able to simply get her tickets and get on board that flight. With her luck, she'd be seated next to him for this entire flight. There had better at least be a good movie to watch. Not some out of season mess like that Queen Latifah flick.

Rick finally came in through the sliding doors, his gray hair and ungodly bright white smile reminding her almost of that Happy Days actor that seemed to be in everything anymore. What was his name again? Winkler. Henry Winkler. Yes, that was Rick.

"Hey, guys!" Obviously SOMEONE wasn't aware of the daggers shot between the two. "Great, great to see you're here already! This is going to be just GREAT, isn't it? A whole three weeks on the sand, in the sun, on the beach... Oh, sure a few seminars here and there, but it'll make us the greatest sales team this division's ever seen, right? Yeah! Alright! Let's meet up with Clarissa and her two, and we'll be on our way!"

Good lord, how many happy pills did this man take in a morning?

Getting up, she finished the remains of her water, tossing the bottle into a nearby trash can and glancing over to Eli as she picked up her luggages' handles. "Just so you know," She mumbled softly enough for him to hear, trying to keep Rick's attention away from the conversation going on behind them. "I had no idea he picked you to be the other half of this. I had really thought it was going to be Jess or Kevin. If I had known a week ago it was you... Well. I don't think I'd be coming."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

The fake smile on Eli's lips faltered a bit at Amy's comment, and instead of bothering with a reply he simply snorted, shook his head, and took a drink from his ridiculously overpriced bottle of water. He had a feeling she was baiting him into bickering, wanting his voice loud and angry when Rick showed up. She'd have to try harder to get him to fall into that trap.

Rick's voice snapped him out of the crowd-staring stupor he didn't even realized he'd fallen into, and he stood from his chair and turned his back to Amy, shaking the hand of the man who sounded more like a tour guide than a manager. Was it even possible to so thoroughly make someone dread a trip to Hawaii? It didn't seem possible.

"Let's go!" Eli said, all full of vim and vigor, and every drop of it as false as the smile he wore. His hand closing around the handle, Eli began to walk just behind Rick when Amy's voice caught his attention once more. Another snort, but the grin that his lips found now was genuine, if not friendly.

"If I'd have known that, I would've told you a week ago and been able to enjoy this trip much more." A glance forward assured him Rick wasn't paying any attention to them, prattling on instead about some nonsense he wanted to see while in Hawaii. "Besides, there's still time for you to remember how sick your poor tummy gets on planes and back out."

Before she had a chance to say anything else his voice rose, his words for Rick while his eyes remained on Amy. "I actually read about that in a brochure last night," he said, eyes only leaving her when he'd caught up with Rick, "Looks like it could be a lot of fun!"

He had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but the silver haired bastard ate that shit up.