lucetilogs | Coffee Shop Construction is a go!

Who: Natasha Romanoff and anyone ~~conned into~~ likely to swing by and help
What: Before it can open, the coffee shop needs a little tlc and a few touch-ups.
When: Friday, May 10. Possibly extending into the weekend.
Where: The future location of A Shot In The Dark coffee shop. (AKA, Building M)
Summary: Natasha calls in a few favors and bribes a few friends and teammates into helping her get the coffee shop ready to open. Anyone able to hammer a few nails, wield a paint brush or broom, or move some furniture is invited. ~~Or come ogle some of the shirtless males she's put to work, that's acceptable too.~~
Rating: PG. Probably. >.>

Natasha's still not entirely sure why she's doing this. Most mornings, she wakes up with the inevitable realization that she's probably lost her mind. She's not one to put down roots, to make a commitment to anything, because things don't last, situations change and her lifestyle choice of 'don't get attached' is slowly getting buried under a mound of teammates, friends, and persistent pests that somehow end up being debatably endearing.

And, apparently, a coffee shop.

Yup. She's definitely lost her mind. That doesn't seem to stop her from going each day and working on the little shop off the plaza, although she's reached a point that there's not much else she can do on her own. She needs help. A galling realization, but hey, that's what teammates are for, right? So, on a bright and sunny Friday morning, she rounds up what help she can find to pound out the last few renovations needed for the place.

((OOC Note: Most of the work needed is inside the cafe itself, although some work can be done outside as well. The doors will be propped open for people to come and go and they're taking pretty much a blank slate of an interior and turning it into this. So, work your character could possibly be doing is helping construct the coffee bar, painting the walls, hanging light fixtures or the shelving behind the coffee bar. Cleaning up the tables and chairs or the other surfaces inside once the sawdust and nail-pounding clears up. And if someone wants to get creative and make her a sign, she will be eternally grateful.

There will be a constant supply of drinks and snacks as well, for people wanting to take breaks or those wandering by to eyeball the proceedings. Hop in, help out, or just stop by to chat.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He looks at her curiously, trying to figure out what she's thinking. Not surprisingly, he can't get a good read on her. But her words do give some of her thoughts away. "Starting to feel the pressure?"

Steve puts his water bottle aside and reaches over for the next piece of wood he needs to connect. "I have to admit, running a coffee shop isn't something I would have seen you doing."

That earns a short huff of laughter from her. "You and me both. I'm fairly certain I'm losing my mind."

She watches him work, staying out of his way, offering a hand without prompting as he reaches for the next plank and slots it into place. Her expression's turned a little thoughtful as she does, gaze going distant a moment before she gives him a faint, crooked smile.

"It's actually not the first time I've done it. Run a coffee shop, I mean. Sort of," she amends, lips quirking as she hands him his hammer.

The hand holding the hammer pauses, hovering over the wooden boards, as he gives he a strange look over his shoulder. Again, he shouldn't be surprised considering her line of work. Owning a coffee shop would make a solid cover.

"Really? Maybe you're not losing your mind after all. It could just be nostalgia."

"I think nostalgia still equates to losing my mind," she quips dryly, meeting his gaze. "I'm not exactly the sentimental sort."

She lifts a shoulder in a shrug, but the faint smile lingers about her lips. "It was an assignment I had once, although you probably guessed that. A little corner cafe in Prague. I was there for eight months or so, running it with the actual owner. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was actually enjoying myself."

"I don't think so. It's been my experience that when you've been away from home a long time you start to miss things you never really considered before. It can be something as simple as the brand of toothpaste you used to...the coffee shop you once ran during a cover." His gaze seems distant for a moment, as if he's looking ahead but not really seeing his surrounding. Then he shakes his head.

"Anyways, I think it's natural. Even if you aren't sentimental."

"That usually requires having a home." She says it lightly, her lips curving with wry amusement, but she can see his point. Maybe it is a hint of nostalgia. She has been indulging in that more than usual in the past few weeks. Or at least the occasional lengthy walk down memory lane. "Maybe it is. Still not convinced temporary insanity isn't a better explanation, but I suppose we'll see how it goes. I have been missing coffee shops in general, though. I've heard that a few times since coming here, actually. It's become sort of a staple, back home."

She pauses, glancing sideways at him, head tilted slightly to the side in an inquisitive manner.

"...Toothpaste, huh?"

"Considering the popularity of Starbucks back home, I'm not surprised. It's easy to miss when you don't have one on every corner anymore." He colors slightly at her question. It's not really the toothpaste he misses the most, or anything like it. But Natasha appears to be reading more into it.

"It's just an example."

Amusement flickers over her expression for a moment. "Yes, Starbucks has popped up like a very persistent weed in recent years. Whenever we get back, remind me to take you to this little place I know in the city. Somehow I think you might like it."

She reaches out, her hand skimming lightly over the boards he's building the counter from. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"A weed. That's one way of putting it. I take you're not a fan?" He raises a brow at her offer and nods. "Maybe you should write yourself a note. If we go back and don't remember this conversation then at least you might still have a reminder."

Shaking his head, he reaches over to grab a few more nails out of a small dish he set up besides his work area. "I think I have it just about finished. You can help me sand it done after awhile if you'd like."

"They'll do in a pinch," she replies with a laugh. "I suppose I've given them enough business that saying I'm not a fan is a bit hypocritical. And I don't think we have to worry about a note. I may take you anyway." It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

She nodded at that, a smile playing over her lips. "I can do that. I'll check back with you when you're ready."

Steve nods. "Yeah, I'll let you know when I'm getting started. In the meantime, you might want to supervise the people hanging the light fixtures. Those things can be tricky, and the last thing we want is to have one falls on someones head. They might want to sue." He grins slightly.

"Just my luck," she drawled, her voice wry as she pushed herself to her feet. "As long as it's not Clint or Bucky trying to give themselves a concussion, I can deal with it. Although last time I spotted them, they were trying to decorate each other with paint. I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

She winked at him as she straightened, leaving him to his work for the time being as she wandered off towards the front of the store to make sure no one needed a trip to the clinic today.

Coffee Shop Construction is a go!

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