August 27, 2023

"More than that? Colour me intrigued." Jamie regards her sister expectantly. "Enlighten us."

Nathan grabs his own coffee, intrigued as well, though he doesn't say so out loud. Neither Jamie nor Stella has objected to his presence, so he assumes whatever will be said in this conversation isn't anything they consider classified, but he won't try his luck by drawing more attention to himself. Let the girls discuss their personal affairs unbothered; Nathan is content being a fly on the wall for now, listening first and asking questions later, taking everything in while he enjoys his drink.

"I turn thirty in October," Stella begins, "and the same goes for Gino a month later. At first we were thinking we'd just have a party for both of us inbetween those dates like we do every year, but thirty is something of a milestone age, and with an engagement to celebrate as well, we decided we wanted to do something a little more special. We've been saving up for a while now and Gino suggested going on a trip to Italy, to Venice, for a week or two in October. He'd like to see old friends and family, and I would like to see the city he called home. Though I suppose Venice has also been on my bucket list since forever, so that's one more reason I'm eager for a trip like this. Cliché or not."

"No shame in admitting that." Jamie still sounds as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. "I'm sure Venice would be awesome. You should definitely go."

"Well, yeah, Gino and I think so, too. But then we thought about it a bit longer and decided it might be nice to make a family trip out of it, in lieu of celebrating the birthdays and the engagement. That's why we wanted to invite you, Mom and Dad along. Gino would love to share his city and his country with us, his mother will enjoy meeting the family her son will be marrying into, and Mom and Dad have never really travelled anywhere other than Arizona and Jalisco, so I think they're up for something else for a change. Either way, we really liked this idea. But what do you think of it?"

Nathan's not the one being asked, so he keeps his mouth shut, but he knows what his own answer would be: he'd never say no to a two-week trip to Venice. He's only ever been on one longer trip abroad—a few weeks spent travelling around Iceland with Jamie back in April—and he'd do something like that again in a heartbeat. He had amazing company on that trip, though; he doubts travelling with a thieving sister and parents who'd kick their own child out of their house would be as fun.

The decision is Jamie's, however, not Nathan's, and Jamie still looks somewhat excited. Outwardly, at least. Over the past few months, Nathan has grown well acquainted with the arsenal of slightly different smiles she has at her disposal, and the one she wears now doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I mean, it's... It's not a bad idea! I think we could all really enjoy Venice." Jamie hesitates. "Potentially. If there aren't any, uh... Fights."

Stella closes her eyes briefly, as if bracing herself for the toughest part of a boxing match. "That's why I wanted to talk to you in person. I know that since your little... Internet prank... you haven't been getting along great with Mom and Dad. Again. But has there been improvement in that department lately? How are they feeling about it all now?"

From what Nathan's been able to piece together, Jamie's parents still aren't fully over it. Though they do call and are thus on speaking terms with her, Nathan has noted Jamie never seems to call first. She talks about these conversations solely in off-hand comments making light of them before she glosses over it all and rushes to discuss more pleasant subjects. Nathan supposes he can kind of see where Jamie's parents are coming from: in their eyes, Jamie got cancelled and ruined her own reputation over a reckless, irresponsible, stupid prank that was neither funny nor worth it.

Nathan's pissed at them regardless, because if they knew what had really been at stake, they wouldn't have been so quick to judge.

"They're kind of disappointed." Jamie shifts on the couch uncomfortably, ending up a little closer to him in the process, and Nathan still can't tell if this means anything or if it's really just wishful thinking on his part. "And kind of doubting my sanity. In other breaking news, water is wet and grass is green."

"Grass is yellow sometimes. Look, I'm not unaware your relationship is rocky. It's been rocky for years and not without good reason." Nathan notices Stella doesn't point fingers, doesn't pick a side as to who's responsible for this rockiness—Miss Switzerland is the very picture of a neutral third party. "But that doesn't have to mean we can't enjoy a nice trip free of major conflict together. You could use a truce in your cold war and this might even be a good opportunity to make a start patching things up."

Nathan's too much of a pessimist to buy into that, but theoretically, it could work out. Again, not his call.

"A truce," Jamie repeats, sounding somewhat skeptical herself.

"Yeah. I think it'll all turn out fine as long as you... behave. And by that I mean there should be no reckless or overly impulsive actions, no provocative sass, no testing anyone's limits, and just... absolutely no getting into trouble if it can be avoided. Stick to that and, lo and behold, a conflict-free trip. Am I making sense?"

Jamie takes a big gulp of her coffee. "I'm totally capable of behaving and I can be perfectly civil to Mom and Dad. But you do agree that this is a two-way street, right? If I'm going to stick to those ground rules, Mom and Dad should also be perfectly civil to me."

"Of course. I'm planning to sit them down and tell them to behave as well. I just wanted to talk to you first. Do you think you could make something like this work?"

"I mean... Maybe I could if I try my best?"

Jamie doesn't seem as convinced of herself as she usually is. Stella picks up on this expertly, displaying her small smile again. It strikes Nathan as genuine.

"Well, I believe in you. I don't see how it can go wrong if we all put in the necessary effort to be considerate and respectful. And besides, if we're going to do this, I think everyone should be given plenty of personal time and space for doing their own thing. Family trip or not, two weeks is a long time, so there's no need to be attached at the hip for the whole vacation."

"Yeah, I guess I like the sound of that."

"If you're still not convinced, I'll make the deal even sweeter. I encourage to bring a friend if that makes you more comfortable..." Nathan swears Stella's gaze briefly flicks to him, but not in a good way, more in a please maybe not this friend kind of way, and the only acceptable reaction to that he can think of is simply sipping his coffee defiantly. "...and I'll let you pick our hotel if you'd like. You have good taste. Just make sure it's not too expensive and affordable for all of us and we'll go wherever you want."

So Stella really wants this to be a success. Nathan begrudgingly has to admit that she wields her words well, that she can get her points across as persuasively as Jamie can. With how she puts it, having to spend two weeks with family seems a very small price to pay for what could be the trip of a lifetime.

Nathan wonders what Jamie thinks of it. She keeps her facial expression uncharacteristically neutral as she finishes her coffee. "Those are some nice bribes," she finally says. "Do you seriously believe I can be bought that easily, Stel?"

Stella falters, face reddening. "I... Well, uh..."

Jamie smiles. "Fooled ya. If you believe that, you're absolutely right. I'm down for a Venice trip. Let's make it worth remembering, alright?" She places her empty cup back on the table. "By the way, would you like me to pay for the major expenses, or...?"

Immediately, Stella chokes on the remainder of her coffee. "What?"

"You know, pay. For the major expenses, flights, hotel rooms, that stuff. It makes sense." Jamie shrugs. "No disrespect, but I have more money than all of you combined. I can pay for this whole trip no trouble. I wouldn't mind. It would just be like a gift or something."

"No, no, that won't be, won't be necessary," Stella manages to say through her coughing fit, even more red-faced now; Nathan senses a fuckton of guilt the moment the topic of money comes up, even though Jamie's offer sounded far too sincere for her to be anticipating this reaction. He still can't bring himself to feel sorry for Stella. Let her choke on that coffee for all he cares.

"Like I said, Gino and I have been saving up," Stella continues when she can breathe normally again, "and Mom and Dad still don't have an easy time accepting charity of any kind, so if they want to come, I expect they'll want to pay for themselves. So you just pay for your own expenses and leave it at that, okay?"

"Okay," Jamie replies unbothered, though Nathan suspects she has mentally classified this as a rather stupid choice. She glances at her watch. "Hey, not to be rude or anything, but the clock's ticking and there's still a lot to do. I think it's about time Nate and I go. But we'll keep in touch about this, huh? Two weeks not too far into October would be perfect."

Stella, probably just fine with her early visitors leaving already, stands up. "Yes, that would work. I'll walk you out."

"Thanks for the coffee," Nathan says, even though Jamie made it, not Stella. He just feels he needs to say something, and with this statement, he has officially said a little more than twenty words since ringing Stella's doorbell. Not many, but he is working on trying to be a little more social lately. He tries to converse with his coworkers here and there, even goes out for drinks with some of them at times, and he no longer instantly ignores anyone at the gym wanting to make small talk for reasons he still doesn't really understand. By his own standards, he's shaping up to become quite the social butterfly.

(By Jamie's standards, he probably still has the social skills of a cave hermit. But it's the thought that counts.)

As they make their way back to Stella's front door, Nathan studies Jamie, who seems to be remarkably in her element despite her vague discomfort earlier. There's a sly glint in her eyes, a roguish little grin on her face, and Nathan realises he knows this expression through and through. It's this almost wicked I know something you don't look, and, aside from the fact it looks insanely hot, it also tends to indicate chaotic trouble coming up. Nathan doesn't understand what exactly the Impending Misbehaviour Face hints at now, but he knows there's something he missed.

Jamie did agree to all of Stella's terms pretty fast. Maybe a little too fast.

"Anyway, good talk, Stel," Jamie says, opening the door to leave and raising her hand in goodbye. "Say hi to Gino for me and–"

"Wait," Stella interrupts, so fast Nathan is sure she's come to the same realisation as him. "One last thing before you go."

Jamie raises her eyebrows in response. Stella sighs, pushing a lock of hair out of her face. "I think you want to shoot a video in Venice," she slowly begins, "and I don't mind that. Make something nice by all means. But don't you dare go to that place for it. Don't take the risk. Can you promise me that one thing?"

What place?

Jamie considers this request for a few seconds. When she's settled on an answer, it comes paired with a less-than-innocent smile. "I promise you'll have nothing to worry about."

Which is decidedly not the same as I promise not to go to this mysterious place you mentioned, and that phrasing is undoubtedly deliberate. A frown makes its way onto Stella's face, convincing Nathan this hasn't escaped her notice, but she seems unwilling to fight a new uphill battle at this hour. "...I'll hold you to that, then. Take care, Jamie. And maybe stick to afternoon visits on Sundays moving forward."

When Stella's disappeared back into her home and Nathan and Jamie approach Nathan's car, Nathan takes it upon himself to request clarification. "You're up to something," he states, "and it involves that place Stella brought up. What was that all about?"

Jamie sticks to her evasive act a little longer. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

"Your face," Nathan says, unlocking his car. "That's your Impending Misbehaviour Face."

Jamie bursts out laughing while grabbing her camcorder from the shotgun seat. "What's that even supposed to look like?"

Like a perfect mixture of adorable, sexy and alarming, but the thought of saying that out loud is the most anxiety-inducing one Nathan has had all day, even after getting chased through the woods by a not-deer. "It's... hard to explain," he forces out, quickly steering the conversation back to safer ground. "Can you just tell me what place your sister meant and why she's so adamant you don't go there?"

"In your own words, that's hard to explain. Long story. The kind of story deserving of a PowerPoint presentation, actually." Jamie looks at her watch again. "I'll tell you the whole thing, but maybe not now? You said your shift starts at eight and you'll have to get started on your way to work pretty quick if you want to be on time. That's why I said we should go."

With how invested he was in the conversation between the Carrera sisters, Nathan forgot to keep track of the time, and he finds it rather surprising Jamie did pay attention; she usually shows up to places fashionably late, even though people who legitimately aim to be fashionably late don't look so relieved when they manage to be on time.

Either way, Nathan has to admit she's correct. With how much Morales traffic seems to enjoy working against him, he'll have to hit the road sooner rather than later. He gets into his car and opens the window so he and Jamie can still talk. "I'd drop you off at your house, but–"

"No big deal, just go. I'll find my way home." Jamie leans on the car door, lingering a little longer. "But I really do want to tell you about the place, because it's an interesting story, and by the time we're going to Venice, you'll have to have heard it at some point, anyway."

"By the time we are going to Venice?" Nathan asks, because that's news to him, though he isn't at all complaining. The fact he's apparently Jamie's first choice for company makes his heart beat faster a ridiculous amount. He has to fight a smile again.

Jamie freezes and blinks a few times, looking positively mortified. "Did... Did I forget to ask you if you want to come?"

"Yeah," Nathan says, "but it's fine. I'd love to accompany you to Venice."

The only downside will be having to deal with Jamie's crappy family members, but that's arguably worse for her. What are those people to Nathan, anyway? He'll deal with it. Only idiots say no to a free two-week trip to Venice with their favourite person in the world.

"No, it's not fine," Jamie replies, shaking herself out of her temporary stupor. "What if you couldn't or didn't want to come at all, I mean... I should've asked instead of assuming, I just... I forgot." She backs away from the window as if burned, slightly red-faced, and conjures up another smile. "Okay, so you're—you're busy today, and I'll be out of town with a friend tomorrow, but if you have a moment to spare on Tuesday, we could talk. Do you think you could come over then?"

"Late afternoon should work," Nathan says, still on cloud nine over being invited (first choice!) to come on the Venice trip. "See you Tuesday. I look forward to your PowerPoint."

Though he wouldn't mind this lingering a little longer and Tuesday seems painfully far away, he does need to get a move on, so he finds himself on his way to work quickly after exchanging goodbyes. He ponders the mysterious location in Venice Jamie deems PowerPoint-worthy and the secrets it might contain. Knowing Jamie's content, there are only two things Nathan can confidently claim about this place. The first is that there's undoubtedly, as Jamie said, an interesting story behind it.

The second is that that story must be full of ghosts.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Nathan notices Jamie forgot to remove the sword she used for her magic ritual from his car. Probably for the best if she plans on grabbing an Uber home, but he'll have to remember to return it. Nathan thinks about this, realising he's driving to work with an honest-to-god sword in the backseat in addition to everything else that went down this morning, and the day has barely even started.

He's certainly not getting bored anytime soon.