Karen makes a face at that, though she can't help but laugh a little. "Pretty sure I've only heard that when I've been catcalled," she admits. A smile curves her lips. "Maybe it depends on the context. Let's hear an example."
"Wasn't expecting to have to come up with an example." He says and then pauses to think for a moment. "How about...you having a good time so far, Blondie?"
"Not bad," Karen admits, as if actually weighing the sound of the nickname. "Kind of charming when you say it, even." After a brief pause, she continues, holding his gaze from across the table as the smile lingers on her lips. "And I am, yeah. I'm glad you asked me out."
ooc: sorry for lack of tags, had a busy bunch of days
"Something like that," Karen agrees. She'd be hard pressed to deny the fact that he's naturally charming.
"You'd be a lot drunker if you were," she points out, amused as she lifts the pitcher so she can top off both of their glasses. "Speaking of which...I lost track of whose turn it was."
"I can live with a tie," Karen answers. Honestly, it's best to tap out of playing Never Have I Ever early before things start to get too specific.
His question about Josie's is met with a smile. "Uh, since I started working with Matt and Foggy. It's their favorite bar, and they started bringing me along once I was officially employed with them. All the regulars that come here look out for each other, you know? It's nice. Do you have a favorite local pub you like to go to back home?"
"Is Foggy his real name or a nickname?" He asks and then looks around the bar at all the other patrons, nodding.
"Course. Local pubs are far more common where I'm from, my local is one that's been in our neighbourhood for many years. The owner, Jon, is a good bloke. He used to let me do a lot of works deals there since it was a safe space."
Well that and it's not like Alfred had a proper office.
"Nickname. His real name is Franklin," Karen answers with a smile. "He and Matt were roommates in college. Apparently he snored like a foghorn." It weirdly almost suits him more than Franklin does. She always finds herself taken by surprise when someone uses his given name.
"What was it called? A lot of British pubs seem like they follow the same naming convention. Adjective noun." She always gets a kick out of the names when someone mentions going to a British pub. His comment about doin his work deals there prompts an interested look. "What kinds of deals?"
"Roommates and now co-workers, I imagine that gives the office a bit of a more relaxed feel than some other law firms." He says and then chuckles at her comment about British pubs because she's not wrong.
"The Severed Arms. And by deals I mean work contracts, security gigs and the like." A small pause. "I helped Jon out with a bloke who was bothering his daughter so he opened up his business to mine."
"Considering we worked out of the Nelson's family meat store for a while...I think it's a pretty unique vibe." Maybe not entirely relaxed, because the three of them do still all wear business clothes for their office hours and in court.
"Oh, that's brutal," she answers with a laugh when he names his local pub. She can just picture what the sign must look like. And she can't help but smile when he mentions how he helped the owner out. "It was nice of you to give a hand. That sounds like it was a good arrangement."
"No, that's not his style. To be clear, he does craft a really impressive threat. But it's all entirely based on things that are legal." Honestly, it's wildly impressive to behold when he really gets on a tear.
Matt is much more likely to leverage a butcher shop style threat. Though that's really only during his...extracurriculars that she's not at liberty to share.
There's a pause after his comment, and she lets out a laugh, trying (and failing) to give him a look that looks more genuinely scandalized than playfully so. "Sounds like things heated up after you gave her a hand."
Karen just looks amused when he makes his confession, coupled with that guilty little look. Honestly, it makes sense. He's a good looking guy. And she's pretty staunchly determined to solve all of her own problems, but she's not immune to the appeal of having someone in your corner.
"Wow. That second time was the real choice, huh?" she points out with a grin, just lightly ribbing him. "Sounds like you're a regular heart breaker, Alfred. Should I be worried?"
It had mostly been a joke, but it is the sort of statement that deserves an answer. Especially considering how...elusive she tends to be when it comes to talking about the specifics of her work. She presses her lips together, looking thoughtful for a moment.
"Well, uh, I'm great at first dates," she begins, all self-deprecating humor. "Anything beyond that I try to be careful. I investigate criminal activity and corruption, I write articles about it. There's people in this city that would probably consider me their enemy for the work I do. And for the people I work with." It's not like Matt and Foggy are exactly passive in the cases that they take on. "I hate the idea of getting someone caught up in that. So it gets...complicated."
"You try to be careful or you try to distance things?" He asks with a little smile, amused at the fact that her pattern of dating is very similar to his own for very similar reasons.
"Usually one or the other. Or both," Karen admits, looking amused that he's so accurately called her out on it. There's really no point in trying to refute it. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience there."
"You're not wrong there," Karen agrees, tipping her head in acknowledgment.
The statement about him getting shot at more than she does gives her pause as she tries to track exactly how high that number is and realizes she's going to need more than a quick moment of mental math to get there. "Well, it's usually not on a weekly basis?" she says after a moment with a helpless shrug. "It's not my favorite part of the job. But I can't imagine doing anything else."
He leans back in his chair and laughs, "Nor mine but I guess it's all part and parcel."
But in a way that's kind of good because it means Karen actually understands parts of his job more than most the women he's met who always say they get it and accept it but later it causes issues.
"Could you imagine doing this again?" He asks, gesturing to the bar and them.
"Yeah, less of a fringe benefit and more of a, uh, borderline drawback?" she suggests, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she takes a sip of her own drink.
His question is met with a thoughtful look, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe not at Josie's. But yeah. Do you think you can handle not being involved when I have a dangerous case?" She figures it's a fair question, if fairly direct. And an important one. Keeping people from being caught in the crosshairs of her bullshit is her top priority.
"I believe so." He answers but then lifts a brow at her, "Do you think you can handle not always getting the full story from me about my work or the people who hire me?"
After all he works with some people who require anonymity.
It's a fair question. One shoulder lifts in a shrug. It makes sense that people that want to hire a private security company would also have some conditions of anonymity. "So long as you're not involved in anything shady, I don't think it'll be a problem. If your name turns up in one of my investigations, I'll have a lot of questions."
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ooc: sorry for lack of tags, had a busy bunch of days
"And I'm glad you accepted, I'd feel kind of silly sitting here playing this game by myself."
no worries! hope things calm down for you <3
"You'd be a lot drunker if you were," she points out, amused as she lifts the pitcher so she can top off both of their glasses. "Speaking of which...I lost track of whose turn it was."
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"So how long have you been coming here for? The bar I mean."
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His question about Josie's is met with a smile. "Uh, since I started working with Matt and Foggy. It's their favorite bar, and they started bringing me along once I was officially employed with them. All the regulars that come here look out for each other, you know? It's nice. Do you have a favorite local pub you like to go to back home?"
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"Course. Local pubs are far more common where I'm from, my local is one that's been in our neighbourhood for many years. The owner, Jon, is a good bloke. He used to let me do a lot of works deals there since it was a safe space."
Well that and it's not like Alfred had a proper office.
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"What was it called? A lot of British pubs seem like they follow the same naming convention. Adjective noun." She always gets a kick out of the names when someone mentions going to a British pub. His comment about doin his work deals there prompts an interested look. "What kinds of deals?"
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"The Severed Arms. And by deals I mean work contracts, security gigs and the like." A small pause. "I helped Jon out with a bloke who was bothering his daughter so he opened up his business to mine."
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"Oh, that's brutal," she answers with a laugh when he names his local pub. She can just picture what the sign must look like. And she can't help but smile when he mentions how he helped the owner out. "It was nice of you to give a hand. That sounds like it was a good arrangement."
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Because let's face it, being able to say you know where to get rid of bodies would make a good threat.
"It was, still will be hopefully if I ever go back." A pause. "So long as he never learns about me and his daughter...."
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Matt is much more likely to leverage a butcher shop style threat. Though that's really only during his...extracurriculars that she's not at liberty to share.
There's a pause after his comment, and she lets out a laugh, trying (and failing) to give him a look that looks more genuinely scandalized than playfully so. "Sounds like things heated up after you gave her a hand."
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A pause as he looks even more guilty. "And then we slept together twice."
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"Wow. That second time was the real choice, huh?" she points out with a grin, just lightly ribbing him. "Sounds like you're a regular heart breaker, Alfred. Should I be worried?"
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"I guess that all depends on what you're looking for."
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"Well, uh, I'm great at first dates," she begins, all self-deprecating humor. "Anything beyond that I try to be careful. I investigate criminal activity and corruption, I write articles about it. There's people in this city that would probably consider me their enemy for the work I do. And for the people I work with." It's not like Matt and Foggy are exactly passive in the cases that they take on. "I hate the idea of getting someone caught up in that. So it gets...complicated."
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Pot meet kettle and all that.
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"Although I'd wager I get shot at more often than you do."
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The statement about him getting shot at more than she does gives her pause as she tries to track exactly how high that number is and realizes she's going to need more than a quick moment of mental math to get there. "Well, it's usually not on a weekly basis?" she says after a moment with a helpless shrug. "It's not my favorite part of the job. But I can't imagine doing anything else."
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But in a way that's kind of good because it means Karen actually understands parts of his job more than most the women he's met who always say they get it and accept it but later it causes issues.
"Could you imagine doing this again?" He asks, gesturing to the bar and them.
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His question is met with a thoughtful look, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe not at Josie's. But yeah. Do you think you can handle not being involved when I have a dangerous case?" She figures it's a fair question, if fairly direct. And an important one. Keeping people from being caught in the crosshairs of her bullshit is her top priority.
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After all he works with some people who require anonymity.
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ooc: shall we end here?
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