| Details for Elly Shows Jack the Borough Market |
| Summary: | Jack and Elly go on their first thing that could be considered a 'date'. |
| Date: | October 19th 1937 |
| Location: | Borough Market |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
 
Guest Starring  |
Borough Market - London
Fri Oct 19, 1937 ((Thu Oct 18 21:09:55 2012)) - (H,5 NE)
It is a fall night. The weather is warm and overcast.
The Borough Market is one huge Victorian styled warehouse roof with an Art Deco styled entrance sitting over more than four acres of side-to-side market stalls. Except for the large aisles to allow customers to browse the food, there isn't an inch wasted. Any type of food produced in Europe can be found somewhere in this vast market, even the rarest of gourmet foods can be purchased here.
Friday night in the Borough. Wall to wall people, out and about on a particularly warm evening. No rain, even! Here is where the rich and the poor mingle under one roof, each in search of those 'perfect items' for their dinner tables. As promised, though a little late due to prior obligations, Jack's serving as .. escort for the evening to Miss Elly, complete with lorry. (He'd like to see it as a 'date', mind..)
Now, Jack walks the aisles slowly, a hand hovering at her hip behind Elly to keep her from colliding with any other that might be less than observant. Dark eyes dance in pleasure, and he's got the perpetual smile lingering on his face. There's a bounce to his step, and the smile gives a lightness to his thick accent. "Cor.. knew there was a reason I'd no' stepped foot in 'ere. Make a man's mouth water.. an' all the stuff that'd ne'er get cooked on m'stove.."
Elly smiles over at him and does think of this as a date. This is like taking a girl shopping at Harrod's in Elly's mind. "Aye, well that's wha ye have me for, aye?" She winks over at him and mmms and points. "They've got the best spices 'ere." She smiles to the old Indian couple behind the beautiful mound that have molded to look like exotic flower blossoms. She presses her hands together and bows her head to the couple and then starts to order, "Half pound of curry, pound of paprika, half pound of that lovely blend ye have, please." As she waits for the older woman to scoop and measure Elly slides her arm around Jacks arm and cuddles it against herself, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Thank ye for comin' wif me Jack. Wanted to show ye this wondrous place."
Jack's arm closes in around Elly as she comes to a stop at the spices, his gaze not seeming to stray far from the girl beside him. "'Aight, s'right," is given up easily. "Right good fing, too.. or I'd be skin an' bones." And it's not far from the truth, either!
He waits for the order, and he's more than happy for the cuddle, his arm rising so she's tucked nice-as-you-please under his draped arm. He turns his head, his voice low, words only for her, "Been wantin' t'do this for a fair bit," and his smile doesn't fade, instead, it shifts lopsided, "T'weren't sure 'ow to do it successfully un'er your da's nose." He presses a kiss to the top of Elly's head, "Place is a wonder.. an' I'm not sure my surprise'll beat it."
Elly happily rests her head on Jack's shoulder. "The Lorry was the trick. Dada knows I have always wanted to shop more 'ere. Trouble is wif no car… con't get more than a basket full usually. So when I told Dada ye offered the lorry to the cause…well he couldn't fuss." She gives a proud of herself smile. "Wasn't fibbin' either so…" Her own lips land on his cheek. "I'm excited bout this surprise. Wha issit?" She gives him a tug like a little girl trying to pry information out of an adult.
"'At's m'girl.." Certainly Jack offered up the lorry. They've done a lot for him over the time, and it's the least he can do. Without fee, even! Normally, there's a nominal fee, but that's been happily waived with the presence of the lovely Elly. "Where there's a will, there's a way." He squeezes his arm, pressing her a little tighter to him briefly before he raises a hand, shaking it. "Ah, no.. no'tellin'. If I did, wouldn't be a surprise. Bu' we do 'ave t'swing 'round and drop off yer supplies first. Wouldn't do t'drive wif it in the back." Which may mean they'll go some distance? He laughs soon after and lays another kiss, "Y'll 'ave t'do better'n tha', an' I still won' 'fess it." He offers that cheeky grin, "Though I won' complain if'n y'try."
Elly gives a girlish sunny smile and tugs at the front of his shirt to pull him closer to give his lips a little kiss. Then she blushes and giggles as the old couple start cheering and clapping and saying things in their native language. She takes the bags of spice and put them in the basket that she talked Jack into carrying and then gives them both another bow and they give farewells on a first name basis. "The Lorry will come in perfectly for the next place we're headed. Ye don't have a delicate stomach do ye Jack?"
The kiss on his lips brings his head down, and his hand slides behind her head to give her something just a touch longer. Jack's.. gentle, but there's an insistence there.. subtle but present as he leans into her so briefly. He grins, leans his forehead against hers for a lingering moment before he lets her go to take the spices. He's back around, with the basket, watching the items put in, one after another after their identification, just to be sure they're correct. With a couple rapid nods, Jack's on and ready to follow her to the next. "Delicate stomach? Me? Nah.." He shakes his head, looking all the world a stalwart lad. "Should I pull it 'round? Or after the purchase?"
Elly leads him around a corner and just in time for them to witness a butcher with a cleaver that is at the precise moment hacking open a cow's skull and splitting it open so that he can pour the brains out into some brine. "Nah the most romantic of dates…" She says with an apologetic giggle. Date! She thinks it's a date! "The boys are very nice, just have to give them where the lorry is and the plates and they'll take everything and do all the packing themselves." Because it's Elly and she always gets special treatment like that.
Okay, city boy. Jack freezes in his tracks to see it, and he turns a shade of pale green before he licks his lips quickly and takes a half, unconcious step backwards. Not something in his experience. At all. "Oh, bloody 'ell.." Putting a hand out to steady himself, he gives something of a weaker smile- see? He's okay! "Ah.." No, not the most romantic of dates, but.. he'll..
Clearing his throat and swallowing a small amount of bile, Jack gets himself under control, the smile that comes is a little less.. woozy. "I'll make up f'it.. 'onest." He digs into his pocket to scribble down the license and make/model of his lorry. And location. "Really? S'right, then. Can't beat tha'.."
Elly reaches into the basket and takes a leaf of the bundle of mint gotten earlier to rub it between her fingers and then she lifts up her thumb to rub the mint oil over his mustache. "Bettah? Sorry loverly." A soft kiss is then placed on his cheek.
Jack nods, his voice low, "Did't 'spect the brains." But, he's okay now.. the moment of weakness has passed, and once the information is on the paper, he pockets the pen and puts his arm back around Elly, kissing her mint-laden fingers. "'Preciate tha'.." He takes a deep breath, though he's careful not to take in too much of the sharp iron scent of blood, "Sorry.." and his voice lowers, "City-boy.."
Elly smiles sweetly and blushes a bit at the kiss to her fingers. But things are always so easy around Jack. Never any pressure they're both cockney. "No worries, sorry, didn't think it was to that part yet. But ye should come watch over here…it's amazin'." She takes him around the waist tucked in against him still to lead him a bit further down where there is a butcher that is moving a whole side of beef onto a table. With hook in one hand and blade in the other Marius starts to make work of the side of beef like he were a sculptor cutting through butter. It's like watching a martial artist doing kata.
Ayup, both Cockneys.. there's a tacit understanding, and should they need to, they can easily shift to the slang and there wouldn't be anyone around that would know what it is they're saying to each other. Class is alive and well in London. "S'right." Jack's got his wind now, and he's okay. Actually now, he's a bit fascinated, and at the tug of the arm that's wrapped about his waist, allows himself to be lead around to the prime viewing spot. He whistles softly, "Peeper 'at.." He dips his head, resting a cheek on her hair, leaning, and keeping Elly close. "No' seen 'at.." Gives him something of a new respect for the beef he gets set before him. "'Ow many are we bringin' back?" Not that the lorry couldn't carry it, plus..
Elly actually brought him to the Borough Market because it is filled with Cockneys. Now at the Leaky Cauldron they could get away with that. She watches him more than the butcher as he watches and smiles when he seems to enjoy the educational experience. "I think that it's good to learn where what ye eat comes from, gives that greater respect, aye. Exactly." She then hmmms, "Maybe six sides?" That's right, she wants to put nearly three whole cows in the back of the lorry. "Will tha' be alrigh?"
Jack watches the flourishes with which the butcher, Marius, wields his tools of the trade, and the carcass becomes the more recognizable cuts.. for the most part. He whistles softly again, and his hand rises to run fingers through her hair. "S'right.. won't look at a cow t'same way 'round." His smile turns back to the lopsided, and the impish gleam returns. "'Aight.. it'll be a tight fit, but I've go' a long back." And he's not got any boxes from a clean out. Hasn't had one of those in some time.. which is why things have been tight for him. "'Ow're we gonna get it all off?" Well, okay.. actually he knows the answer before it's fully out of his mouth. He's so used to not having the 'shortcut', that he does forget himself. "N'mind.." before he turns to Elly. "D'at it? Or d'ya need more? We still 'ave my treat."
Elly gives a sheepish smile. "We also need three lambs, four pigs, twelve rabbit…" She pauses to peek about and then ask the butcher using his name and a warm smile, "Any venison today?" Marius looks extremely regretful as he shakes his head, "Nah t'day Els, sorray." She waves and beams at the man. "No 'arm done." Then he's off to round up the nearly whole animals. As he does she continues to order, "Ten pounds of casin', 5 pounds of kidneys. 10 livers. Fifteen pounds of bacon… I think that'll do it please Marius. Thank ye."
Jack whistles again after hearing the entire order and the response, and chuckles, "Good fing she's got good shocks." Well, okay.. the metal bands that act as shock-absorbers work well. He leans to kiss the top of her head, "No worries.. she'll do fine.. an' get every'fing back, easy-peasy." Twisting around to find a spot to lean, he gives Elly a tug to come with and lean against him and get comfortable. "Kidneys.. means that your mum'll have the steak an' kidney pie in the next coupl'a days?"
Elly has quite the span of time to stand there and wait and chat and cuddle with her date after the butchers take the slip of paper from Jack. She faces him now making sure he's put the basket down so he doesn't get tired and she snuggles against him face to face. "Aye, know it's one of your favorites." Which is why she's made sure to get the kidneys. "Next stop is the dairy stalls, for cheese an' milk and then we'll be all done 'ere. Thank ye again Jack. Means a lot to me, that ye've braved my bit of world 'ere."
More than happy to brave her world if it means that Jack can have the lovely Elly lean against him as they wait. He leans in, and kisses her neck, up to her ear before he whispers, "One'my favourites, any way.. times I fink I could live on lookin' at'y.." When he passes by the cauldron because he's got no coin at all, he does at least look in the window before leaving. Straightening again in his lean, he's looking at her fully.. "Dairy, aye.." but his attention isn't on her words as much as it's simply.. on her. "Don't mind't'll, comin' 'ere. Anytime y'want.. ask ye out, tell me 'Jack, we need t'make a run.. an' need the lorry'.. an' we'll make a stop 'fore the pictures or some'fin.."
Elly smiles to him, "Well, I wouldn't wanna distract ye from your duties with the aeroplanes too much. I know 'ow much doin it means to ye. And ye know…" She reaches up to cup his cheek with a soft smile. "Ye come in an' keep me company coin or no. Promise? My Jack shouldn' be goin 'ungry. So promise me, no more pride and ye'll come in, no matter?"
"Nah.. won't distract me too much.. I'll take a snap an' have y'wi' me.." Jack points to a top pocket, "Hold ye here.." He exhales in a long sigh, and brings a hand up to hold it against her hand, now cupping his cheek. "Wild 'orses couldn'a keep me 'way from ye.. an' I'll come in if'n y'promise t' go wif me to the pictures." He chuckles and kisses the palm of her hand. "An' we'll run the meat for your da." It's not that the young man doesn't want to work. He does, and he works hard. It's just.. luck. Or lack thereof. "Least I c'n do.. the meat, tha' is.."