| Details for Famous Femmes |
| Summary: | Celebrity pilot, Sam Trask, meets rising starlet, Audrey Taylor. |
| Date: | March 20, 1938 |
| Location: | Bramham Gardens Restaurant |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Bramham Gardens Restaurant, London
With red velvet curtains and a cathedral ceiling this room is surely a sight. Each chair is handmade from walnut and are covered in the same color as the curtains but are a rich leather with arms on either side for resting upon. Each table to covered in a fine linen table cloth in a cream color and each table has an ample amount of room around it for privacy. The waiters wear tuxedos and there is even access to a sommelier for wine choices to go with dinner. The smells that come from the kitchen are rich and delicious as the plates that come in and out of the kitchen. A dessert cart is wheeled about as well showing off pastries and cakes.
There she is. Miss Samantha Trask. Daredevil woman. She's at the table off in the corner with her boots propped up on the table and puffing on a cigar. A glass of some kind of amber liquid is sitting off to the side and in front of her she's got what is left of a rarish steak in front of her. For the time, she's leaned over and whispering tales to the people at the next table who are enjoying her exploits but not making too much of a fuss about it. Still, Sam is as loud as she ever was as she slaps at her leg in a laugh at a comical moment.
If there is anyone that can steal attention away from the famous Samantha Trask, it is that rising starlet, Audrey Taylor. Her entrance into the restaurant is greeting with many turning heads and starstruck young men. Naturally, she is all aflutter at the attention. "Oh you delightful man. No, no, I couldn't possibly intrude," she insists, turning down a gentleman's invitation to join his table, and avoiding the glare of the man's wife.
Sam looks up as the woman makes her way into the restaurant and looks to Audrey. She doesn't even excuse herself from the conversation, which the table finds incredibly droll of her, before she looks to Audrey. "Miss Taylor. Care to join me for a drink?" She asks across the restaurant and puffs on his cigar as she awaits a response.
Audrey is a bit surprised to hear a woman's voice among those trying to get her attention, and scans around until she spots Samantha. There is a whispered exchange with the host, as the man is undoubtedly idenfitying the adventurous woman to her. Her brow lifts curiously, and she is soon gliding over toward the table. "Miss Trask, isn't it? I'd be delighted." She waits for one of the men to take out a chair for her, insisting on sitting close to Sam. Now that is a gaggle of young gentleman in complete heaven — Samantha Trask and Audrey Taylor together. This will fuel fantasies for years to come.
Sam motions over the nearest waiter, "Bring her whatever she likes." As she looks to Audrey and smiles, "Friend of yours was in here last night. Nice gal. Bought her dinner." Sam speaks and grins wide, "Name was Ranjali, I think. Sweet gal." She winks and then speaks low, "And don't you worry about me doing anything wrong. I didn't touch her."
"Half glass of whiskey, single-malt," Audrey places her order, giving the waiter a sparkling smile. The mention of Ranjali lifts her brow, though the quiet comment from Sam sets Audrey blinking rapidly. "Wwwwwhy should I assume you did anything wrong? Goodness, you must think me awfully suspicious."
Sam gives a little grin and a puff on her cigar. "Oh nothing at all." She says with another impish grin as she relaxes back in her seat. "Got to love the whiskey." As she looks around the room and just chuckles a little, "The women keep smacking their husbands. I wonder why."
Audrey's eyes linger warily on Sam for a moment, but she is soon all smiles again. "So, Miss Trask, how do you know Ranjali?" She slips a silver case from her handbag, drawing out a long, slender cigarette.
Sam faces that look with a grin, "Just met her last night. She was all alone and I asked her to come over and have a bite. Bought her a steak and a salad… She drank tea. Boring!" She comments and as she sees the cigarette case she fishes into her pocket to produce a lighter to light it. "Trust me. Women like us… I wouldn't dare step on you." She winks.
Audrey leans in to accept the light, exhaling a "thank you" with a stream of smoke. "Women like us? Celebrities, you mean? Come now, I'm not dangerous. What is the worst I could do? Play you badly when they put your story on stage?" Oh, how the men laugh at her joke, which earns a little chuckle from her. They are just so easy to string along.
Sam lifts her head in a laugh, "True. But you, playing me? I always fancied me playing me. Maybe you can play my mother." She says and grins wide with a puff of smoke as the lighter goes back into her pocket.
Audrey blinks slowly, the ice practically frosting over her gaze. "Your mother? How droll." She gives Sam that sort of half-smile that might as well accompany a knife. "I think it might be best if you leave the acting to the actors. We wouldn't want anyone thinking you narcissistic, after all."
"Oh. But I am. Don't let the stunning intellect fool you." Sam laughs and gives another puff on her cigar. "Maybe I will take you up in the plane some day. Muss up that hair of yours some."
Audrey gives a not-so-amused chuckle. "I think I'm fine with my feet on the ground. I'm sure there are much more interesting ways to muss up my hair." She flashes a playful grin at a few of the young men, making a few blush, and a few bolder.
Sam looks to the woman and at the little innuendo she gives a bit of a feral grin, "Oh really now?" And then she leans on the table to look to the same men, "Such ways, I am sure. Maybe we could do some together?" She notes and then adds, "But you won't get in my plane. Pity."
Audrey laughs merrily at the notion of…whatever Sam was suggesting they do together. She won't give the men the satisfaction of a definitive response. It's much more fun to let their imaginations go wild. "Stunt flying isn't exactly how I'd like to enjoy my first aeroplane ride."
"Never been on a plane at all? It's an amazing thing to have something so powerful underneath you." Sam responds and grins wide.
Audrey nods gratefully as her half-glass of whiskey is brought over. She takes a long drag of her cigarette for a moment of silence. "What did you and Ranjali talk about?"
Sam settles back into her chair and puffs on the cigar before she puts it in the ashtray for it to smolder out. "Things. You." She shrugs a bit, "Relationships and how her mother seems to like who she is with."
Audrey sips the whiskey, that wary expression returning to her eyes. "Her mother is a wise woman, and it's so endearing how she is always looking out for her daughter. So, what sort of 'things'? Surely, a woman as interesting as you has more than just 'things' to talk about."
Sam reaches for her own whiskey and sips from it, "Talked about how she is a nurse. Talked about how she's from India and her father brought her mother over here and that her family is happy with her chosen mate." As she lifts her glass to Audrey, "And I must say her choice is stunning to be sure."
"Oh, you seen him, then?" Audrey adopts a challenging and expectant look. "I'm surprised. She's normally quite private about the whole thing."
"Him?" Sam questions and lifts her glass right to Audrey, "To you, madam. For your beauty can certainly light up a room. Oh yes, quite private about it all. I hear that /he/ is quite the little socialite. Stunning beauty. Always immaculate in his dress. And Ranjali is one lucky lady indeed."
Audrey's drink hits the table with an audible thunk, a bit of single-malt whiskey spilling onto the tablecloth. "Indeed, she is," she says dryly as she mashes out her cigarette in the ashtray. She gives the men at the table an apologetic pout. "Sorry, darlings. I can't stay. Busy, busy, you know." She levels a less friendly smile toward Sam. "It was very interesting meeting you, Miss Trask. Please forgive my sudden departure. I've just remembered that I have somewhere else to be." With the aid of a gentleman leaping to pull out her chair, Audrey rises to go.
Sam leans back in her chair again and just grins, "It was a pleasure." She says and chuckles lightly, "He shouldn't have stood her up last night. Some gentleman might scoop her up and away." A little wink as she reaches for her cigar again and her lighter gives a dancing flame to lead to billows of smoke once more, "So. Gentlemen. Did I ever tell you about the Zanzibar flip?"