Tea - for one - Barnaby (open tag)

[barnaby]

"Well shit," muttered Barnaby Blackwell. He peered into the tea cannister once again, as if the magic 'tea fairies' might have suddenly refilled it whilst he'd been swearing.

Nope... still only about a quarter of a teaspoon of leaves left in the bottom.

No tea.

Hell had surly frozen over and Barnaby knew he was in for a hike clear across town. That crap that came in little individual bags was all the local supermarket stopped and he'd sooner slit his own wrists with a rusty tea strainer than drink that stuff. No... he had to go over to that fancy tea house in the posher part of town... and that mean waking up Clarissa.

He grabbed his keys and headed outside.

"Sorry, old girl," he said to his well-used (and loved) VW Beetle. He unlocked Clarissa's driver's side door and climbed in...

* * *

It didn't take him long to reach the Chado Tea Room and he stepped inside, onl;y to be greeted by its friendly owner, Mrs Yuan... a Mandarin lady of absolutely impeccable manners... and who stocked all kinds of loose leaf tea.

"Wan an, Yuan t¨¤itai," he greeted with a grin. She'd taught him how to say good evening in Mandarin and he'd managed to commit it to memory. "And that's all I can recollect so English from here on," he added with a broad smile.

"As always I am pleased to see you, xi¨¡nsheng," came the reply. "Which tea are you after this evening? We have a new brand in," Mrs Yuan continued. "From Nepal. Let me make you a cup to try..." She vanished and Barnaby wandered around teh tea room, soaking up the various aromas as he went.

She was soon back and handed him a small cup. Barnaby inhaled the curling tendrils of steam. "UIf it tastes as good as it smells I shall soon be in heaven."

Mrs Yuan smiled as he sipped.

"I love it!" he exclamined.

"As I said, it's from Nepal. The Antu Estate. Would you like to take some?"

"In deed I would!" He waited while a packet was made up and after handing over probably far too much cash for any amount of tea he set off once more. He'd go for a strol first... and then head back home for a brew.

Pack of Nepalese tea in hand he headed off, across the road and towards a nearby park...

[Elena Hykes]

Elena was glad it was evening. She had to work right after school for three hours.She had walked to from her house to work, she had driven home her car after school. Work was good she had good tips, so she was in a good mood when she clocked out. After getting some food to go and a drink she began walking home. She decided to head through the park since it was a nice evening. She hummed as she went along, yes some girls would be nervous about doing it alone in the evenings but not her, she knew how to handle herself and take care of herself.

She felt a shiver as she walked along, she knew that this park did have some spirits in it but they never showed themselves or bothered the people. So they also generally just tickled her senses and that was it. She was walking along when she noticed a guy near by. "Hi" she said to him with a smile. "A great evening for a walk in the park" she commented to him. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, this her that smiled all the time was a good thing. She was back to normal as she can be and that made her happy, and those around her happy. "I noticed you around school today I am Elena Hykes" she said to him.

[barnaby]

As he wandered through the park Barnaby peeled back one small corner of the bag of tea he carried and inhaled the aroma. Mrs Yuan was right... This one was pretty special. Then again, any of her teas could safely make that same claim. Why would anyone buy it in bags when it could be like this? All that was in those bags was the dust and scraps left after the good stuff had been removed!

He sniffed again, offering the pretty brunette that was walking nearby a friendly smile. “Hi,” he replied. “Fantastic evening I agree. Far too nice to be cooped up indoors.”

“Ah you’re from school,” he said, mentally telling himself to curb any thoughts of flirting but she was striking to look at. He drew the line at chatting up students, though. ‘Damn my morals,’ he thought to himself. She was a stunner! “Elena Hykes.” He frowned slightly. “I think I would remember your face - if not your name - if you were in one of my classes.” That said, she was surely a senior and Barnaby didn’t teach that grade. Not yet, anyway.

“I’m Barnaby Blackwell,” he added. “My parents seem to have a thing for alliteration,” he added with a wry grin. “And yes, you would have seen me at school. I’m the new history teacher. Are you heading through the park? If so I’m going that way too and wouldn’t mind some company...”

[Elena Hykes]

"I just got off work so when I head home, taking a book out into the backyard and do some reading. I will probably end up staying outside most the evening" she said with a laugh and a smile. Sure this guy was cute and as she talked he was definatly no boy, here I go again thinking a real man is much more attractive then some high school boy she thought to herself. And she had to admit that his accent was hot to. There had to be something wrong with her to not be attracted to any boys her age but think older men like Zak and this guy Barnaby is hot.

A teacher ah the first time she was ever attracted to a teacher. "Nope I would remember if you were my teacher" she said with a smile. She knew that she should flirt but she had a urge she kept in check. "I have to say I am sure the girls love your class" she said with a laugh and a smile. "Be prepared for it to go around that you will be considered a hottie teacher, we do not have many of them" she said with a smile. She hoped she was not over stepping but she was just being honest. And yes flirting a bit if she was honest with herself. This does not mean that she will let anyone know this of course, it would be her secret.

"I like your name" she said to him. "It makes you stand out I have not ever met a guy named Barnaby before. And yes your name does have some alliteration to it. But I am sure it is cause your parents wanted you to stand out" she commented. "Yeah I sometimes walk home this way and I know it is not safe for girls to walk alone but not much on this side of life scares me" she said. "But I don't mind the compay, the compay is well appericated" she said to him honestly. "So how your liking teaching history to a bunch of horomonal teens?"

[barnaby]

“Sounds like my kind of evening,” he replied. “For myself I have a date,” he added, going on to life the bag of tea. “Me and my tea pot... cosy or what?” he added on a short laugh. “ I really need to get out more,” Barnaby added with a wry smile. “It’s sort of hard to meet people my own age when I spend so much time teaching...” He glanced at Elena. Senior... so she was probably only a few years younger than he was. What a pity she was a student at the school where he taught as she certainly was eye-catching!

He laughed when she mentioned him being popular with the girls. “Maybe up until I start handing out that first detention for handing in late homework. Pretty sure after that I will soon be way less appealing!”

“Even back home Barnaby isn’t what I would call a commonly heard name. My parents erred on the side of old-fashioned,” he told Elena. “I quite like it as well... I don’t even mind when it gets shortened to Barney.” He frowned slightly. “ I DO draw the line at ‘Barn’ as some of my old school mates would insist on using. I swear they only called me that to piss me off. Shame of it is, it worked.”

They set off together, chatting amicably as they headed through the park. “So far its been ok,” he replied to her question about his position at the high school. “I admit I had hoped to be also teaching the senior grade but... I suppose the faculty want to make sure I’m up to that standard first. Can’t blame them for that really. Maybe next term. Aaah... I mean semester. That word’s going to take a lot of getting used to! And what of yourself, Elena... Have you always lived in Los Angeles or are you from out of town as well? A fair portion of my students seem to be from elsewhere. Is the school on a student exchange programme do you know?” So many foreign kids... That siad, Barney came under the ‘foreign’ heading as well!

[Elena Hykes]

"I can promise you a guy that is good looking and has a accent won't be single for long" Elena said with a smile. "You will have the women in the city going crazy for you I can garutee you that. And you have the whole dark and handsome thing going on so be prepared to meet a woman very soon" she smiled up at him sweetly. She was glad she had a drink in the carry out bag and reached in and got it and took a sip. Her favorite diet dr pepper cherry. "I can imagine though it is hard to meet women your age, of course some of us look like we are close to your age in the school but that is different since we are still classified as students" she said with a laugh.

"Or you could have girls getting in trouble on purpose to have detention with you" she teased him. "Then that could major problems. The boys would be mad they are losing the girls to the hot new teacher, and the girls could start fighting, a whole bunch of trouble." She could tell he did not mind the teasing cause he would of said something about it already. "So either way I think your year will be interesting in and out of school" she predicted.

"I would never never dream of calling anyone barn" Elena made a face. "But Barney is a good nick name. With Elena I get Lena alot rarely El, Elena is hard name to get a bad nick name out of to" she said with a laugh and a smile. "I don't hear much Elena's so I don't think mine is that common either, always thought it was a bit old fashioned to. But who knows our names might take off and become popular again" she grinned. "Or course we could be called worst names, I could of been called Adalade and you could of been called someting crazy like Prince or something" she said making a face and laughing.

"I moved here a few years ago after my parents were killed in a car accident. I am orignally from Baltimore Maryland" she told him. "So your are not the only from some place else. I mean L.A. was a bit of culture shock even thought Baltimore was a city, it is not like L.A. I had to get use to how it was all about looks and money and everything. Which I don't see what makes a person better to have more money or look a certain way" she shrugged. "But to each their own I guess. I am not sure we have a exchanged program but like you said it feels like it since we have such a diverse student body" she laughed and smile and took a sip of her drink through the straw.

[barnaby]

"Oh I can only hope you're right, Elena!" Barnaby replied. He wasn't used to being single for any great length of time. The idea didn't hold a jot of appeal either. That said, he wasn't against one night stands either. Just not indefinitely. "About the age thing... yeeeah," he replied. "I mean some of the seniors are pushing 19... I'm only 4 years older than that. Hardly anything really but..." He threw Elena a grin. "... out of bounds, you know?" She really DID have fabulous eyes...

"I reckon its a crime against humankind to shorten your name. Elena... It's absolutely charming." He laughed at the thought of being called Prince. "Surely only dogs are called that!" he replied, still laughing at the idea.

Elena went on to tell him about her parents. "I know we've only just met but I'm really sorry to hear abou the accident. It had to have been so hard on you! Los Angeles is very different to London as well. Then again, every city in teh US is unlike London. No city in England is even like it. Have you ever visited? If you ever intend going do let me know. I can tell you all the coolest places to visit and the best places to stay!"