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Tamara stops by the jewelry shop with a business proposition for Lily. |
It's a moderately slow night at Lily's jewelry shop; there's a couple browsing some rings in a glass case to her far right. The store's proprietor doesn't seem concerned with the young couple, though she does look at them and smile warmly every once in a while. Most of her attention is on an open book in her hands though, a collection of works by Edgar Allan Poe. The young-looking woman is perched on a stool behind her main counter. Her store is well-lit toward the center, but it gives off a certain ambience of coziness as it isn't very big and she's got some kind of lavender-scented candle lit.
Tamara comes sauntering into the quiet little shop, pausing briefly to take a look around, but then heading straight for the counter, where she effects a casual lean and waits for the bookworm to notice her. She's not in a huge hurry, but her patience is minimal, so Lily has the space of a few seconds to realize she has company before she'll find Tamara starts clearing her throat more and more pointedly, and at least somewhat ironically. "Poe, huh? There's someone who knows how to have a good time," she notes, striking up the conversation herself as she spots the title on the book.
Lilith's reaction to Tamara's comment is a mere chuckle. She puts a black satin bookmark into the pages and sets it aside ever so properly, folding her hands over one another. She doesn't make a move to get down off of her stool however. "How nice to see you again, Tamara. You're looking well as ever." It's not said with any trace of sarcasm or cattiness; when Lily says it, it sounds like she genuinely means it. She looks toward the ring shopping couple as they start to walk over, finally hopping down from her stool in order to assist them. "Have you found one that you like?" She asks. They both nod enthusiastically and point to an intricately woven silver and amethyst piece, which Lily removes for them with the use of a key. She shoots a brief and apologetic look to Tamara before looking back to the couple. "It accents your eyes," Lily tells the woman as she lets her try it on.
"I am well as ever, thank you for noticing," Tamara replies in a smooth sort of tone, that's touched with that slight edge of characteristic wryness. She might say more, but the couple approaches, and Lily slips off to go play store-clerk. The mercenary just shrugs to the apology, perhaps dismissing it, perhaps not accepting it, who's to say. She sticks around though, and doesn't seem terribly put out as she reaches over the counter to snag the book of Poe and idly flip through it while she waits, keeping more attention on the others than it would appear.
In the end, the couple decide to take it. Lily rings them up at the register and the man is able to provide a nice chunk of cash. The couple wander outside positively glowing at their new acquisition. A smile of pride and satisfaction crosses the brunette's face as she looks back to Tamara, not bothering to take her seat again. "I'm sensing that this isn't a social call. What is it that I can be of assistance with today for you?" She asks the other woman in a polite as ever tone, tilting her head inquisitively in the other woman's direction.
Tamara waits until the couple leaves the shop, watching them go over her shoulder before she turns back to the proprietress, quietly flipping the book shut and straightening up. "I was hoping you might be able to help me get to know this gentleman," she explains, slipping a business card from her clutch and sliding it across the counter with a single, manicured finger. "Hobbies, friends, schedule, dirty laundry, that usual…" She watches the jeweller with some subtle interest.
"Julian DeMartino?" Lilith asks with a slight smile as she takes the card to better examine it. "Lucky for you he's close by." There's a bit of humor in the woman's voice, though something in her eyes suggests relief that her mark really is close to home — despite how dangerous that could be for her. "It sounds easy enough. Is there anything that you know about him up front that could make it a little easier for me to… access him?" Lilith asks, trying to phrase it as delicately she can. Even if they are in a shady business, that's no reason to make it sound unsophisticated, after all.
"He likes horse-racing, owns a few horses," Tamara replies thoughtfully as she considers the question, finding the delicate phrasing almost amusing. "He lives on the Upper East Side, of course. State-of-the-art security and rotating armed guards, paranoid bastard." It frustates her, and yet this would be no fun without a challenge. "His son is at Columbia studying to be a doctor or lawyer or something. His wife dries out at some fancy rehab upstate about once a year. So far, that's all I have."
Lilith nods her head, her lips pursing as she considers the business card. She opens her register back up and puts it safely underneath some of the tender within. "That should be enough. Meeting a lovely young woman who shares his enthusiasm about horses… the rest will fall into place easily, I imagine — especially considering the unfortunate news about his wife." She even manages to sound saddened for the poor man's troubles. She takes in a breath and reaches up to run a hand through her hair, fixing her brown eyes on Tamara. "Is this work supposed to begin ASAP? What kind of time frame do I have before I need to make my first move?"
The brunette chuckles and smiles warmly at the blonde. "Now Tamara, you know I never get more involved with a 'client' than I have to. If what I'm thinking is accurate, the details will come out easily. I imagine he wants someone to talk to since his wife seems to be out of the picture, for all intents and purposes." She taps her pink-painted fingernails against her glass countertop before nodding as she considers the other details. "I'll get my part-timer to watch the shop for the weekend. The sooner, the better." While still being as demure as possible, there's an underlying current of 'let's get this over with' that momentarily fills the woman's doll-like features.
"How you do your business is your business. I'm just saying, spending time with the guy is probably not going to be too painful," Tamara replies with a smirk, giving Lilith a knowing sort of look. "This weekend works. I'm staying at the Waldorf-Astoria for now. You can reach me there when you have something." She pulls out a small stack of bills from her purse, setting them onto the counter with her hand covering most of it. "Here's something for your trouble. More when you get me something I can use." She draws back her hand and tucks her clutch back up under her arm.
Lily considers the stack of bills for a moment before she takes it and also takes in a deep breath. "Very well then." She starts to cash out her register, putting the bills in with the money from it. It's clear that she's getting ready to pack up and leave and this is Tamara's cue to do the same — not that Lily expected her to stay. "Any aliases you're using there, or should I just ask for you?" Lily says with a wink as she sorts her change into money rolls first.
"I am an alias, darling," Tamara replies enigmatically, admitting that quite freely, at least within the confines of this working relationship - she wouldn't really expect anyone to think otherwise at this point, not those who know what she's up to. "Tamara Carver is still strictly on the up-and-up. And she is staying at the hotel." For a moment, she watches Lily sort her cash, a bold thing to do in front of a thief, but then, the payout is too low for Tamara to even think of bothering. "I'll leave you to your Poe then."
"Point taken, Tamara. I'll call you Sunday night if anything turns up, Monday morning at the latest. If I don't get back to you after that, you can come pick your refund up — providing I'm still alive." A wry smile crosses the brunette's lips now before she nods at the woman. "Could you lock the door behind you when you leave? After all, girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to stay safe in this city." It's almost a joke, considering there's no discernable security system anywhere near the frotn door — though that doesn't mean there's not one.
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Just don't tell the guard he looks fat in that little uniform," Tamara advises, perhaps from experience, or maybe simply in jest. She gives a nod then, stepping back from the counter. "I look forward to hearing from you. Take care," she bids before she starts heading for the door, indeed locking it on her way out, and not even bothering to point out the ways she could case the joint if she wanted to. Now that's friendship?
