The First Age

Emily was glad she had this lunch with Natalie scheduled before the situation with Rachel had begun otherwise it might not have been scheduled at all.  In truth she had considered rescheduling.  It wasn't that she didn't want to see Natalie; she absolutely wanted to see her friend, but Rachel's condition had put Emily into a place where she thought she had more responsibilities.  She did, but she also had a family to help.  One mention to Jared of her thoughts of rescheduling and he had encouraged her not to.  He insisted that she needed to get out of the house and breathe a little bit.  Rachel's struggles aside, it had been a busy time - in both good and bad ways.

So Emily had kept her reservation for two at the Estrella Restaurant.  Emily had joined the Pestovo Country Club shortly after her move to Moscow.  She did enjoy golf herself.  The restaurant had been chosen because it was nicer, but it wasn't as opulent as Radiance would have been. Besides, Radiance was used more to impress clients.  Eating there felt like business to Emily.  Here, it felt more like a place she could be with a friend, which was, of course, the point. 

Emily as always had arrived a little early, but had sent Natalie a text letting her know to give her name to the host then she would be brought to Emily's table.  The two had a lot to talk about. Emily knew that Natalie had shown up at the reception, but had not been able to come in.  Emily bore no grudge about that.  Jay had needed help and Natalie had done what Emily would have done as well.  But she wondered about Jay and hoped he was okay.  She knew Jared did too.  Then there was Rachel.  Natalie didn't know her sister, but she knew Emily's love of family.  But beyond that - there were the good things.  Emily was more interested in talking about the good things.  That is what she now needed.  She ordered a water and waited for her friend to arrive.

It wasn’t often Natalie made room for anything purely social. Pestovo wasn’t somewhere she was familiar with, mostly because of the elitist price tag (and the generally insufferable company of others wealthy enough to afford it), though she fit in amongst the opulence as well as anywhere else. Northbrook was a name people took note of, within the Custody at least, even if they were unsure which one she was. Wrapped in the wool of her coat, she spent some time wandering the grounds before her lunch with Emily. It was an oasis carved out of the busy metropolis heart of the city, though most of the greenery this time of year lay in quiet hibernation. The dissonance caught somewhere in her gut -- between the luxury so easily within her reach, and the life she had known in Africa. The world here was too serene for the sorts of scars she carried unseen. 

Emily was an enigma in that regard. Not snobbish, but the warmest, most kind-hearted person Natalie knew despite her wealth and business acumen. How she remained so in the cutthroat arena of Moscow Natalie had no idea. Emily deserved a better friend in truth, but in Natalie the bonds of loyalty ran deeply, even if it didn’t always make her a good person.

Her cheeks were still faintly flushed from the cold when she entered the restaurant, gave her name, and handed over her coat. A glass wall boasted rolling views over the club, and heavy chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling; her gaze flickered over it all as she was shown to the table. Natalie was never big on the sort of affections some women shared, so she slid straight into the chair that was pulled out for her. Amusement glimmered in her eye, faint at the edges of her lips, as she shared a look with Emily. “Fancy,” she said in tease.

Emily smiled and laughed at Natalie’s quip. She was genuinely happy to see the other woman. Seeing her was enough to let Emily know that Jared had been right. Emily needed to get out of the house and not worry about Rachel for a bit. She was fine. Or would be fine. Maybe. Emily banished the thought for now, she needed to focus on Natalie.

”Natalie! It’s so wonderful to see you. It’s been too long,” she said brightly. She looked around at the restaurant. ”I know. But I didn’t have enough time to practice my golf game before the snow came and I got to use my benefits!” she said with a playful smirk.

The waiter came by and asked for drink orders. Emily ordered a water, and hadn’t looked at the menu yet. Lunch was on her, and she let Natalie order her own drink. ”So, how’s Natalie?” Emily asked. She knew Natalie had a lot of scars. She hoped her friend was okay, but Emily was there for her if she needed it. She always would be.