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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jan 16, 2022 18:41:50 GMT -8
Barcelona, Spain
Capitol city located on the coast of northeastern Spain. Enjoy your stay at the luxury five-star Monument Hotel in the city's center. Dine at one of its upscale restaurants or enjoy a cocktail in the bar.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Feb 15, 2022 17:12:39 GMT -8
*** Zemo and Sophie enter from Zemo's Private Jet ***
The flight had been smooth with a problem-free landing, for which Sophie was grateful. A private car was waiting at the airport to gather both of them and their luggage upon arrival. From there, it was a short but scenic drive to their hotel through the streets of the Spanish capitol -- a sunny, bustling city where decades-old architecture mixed with new, where Gaudi-designed homes shared space with high-end fashion boutiques.
Sophie allowed herself to behave like a tourist, at least for a little while, once the car came to a stop and she was gazing up in awe at the hotel with its historic edifice and balconies at every window. It wasn't exactly discreet, as far as a base of operations, but apparently Zemo preferred to travel in style no matter the circumstances. She noticed the driver was well-compensated for his service, as were the well-dressed attendants who unloaded their luggage from the car and onto a hotel cart.
Another well-dressed attendant held open the large glass and dark wood door that led to a gleaming marble-floored lobby. "Bienvenidos al Monument Hotel, senor y senora!" * he greeted with a warm smile, a gloved hand touching the rim of his top hat. Sophie muttered a 'Gracias' which was likely incorrectly pronounced and proceeded inside. Not knowing where to go or what to do next, she was happy to pause her steps and admire her surroundings while Zemo strode nonchalantly toward the front desk.
______________________________________________
* "Welcome to the Monument Hotel, Sir and Madam!"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 16, 2022 7:55:44 GMT -8
Throughout their drive towards the hotel, Zemo had said no word but watched Sophie's reaction to the surroundings every now and then. While he knew this city very well, it was obvious that it was her first time here, even if she hadn't said so before. She just had this typical look on her face that said tourist. Although Zemo hadn't been here for quite some time, it still felt like coming home, a past home. When they got greeted by a man belonging to the hotel staff, Zemo, of course, understood every word, for Spanish was practically one of his mother languages. But instead of taking the initiative already now, he remained silent, only a slight smirk on his features while listening to Sophie's rather incorrectly pronounced expression of gratitude. It was only when they got led inside the lobby that Zemo took action, finally. He neared the front desk with a friendly yet professional smile. "Buenas tardes, señor. Lamentablemente no tenemos reserva ya que mi asistente cometió un pequeño error en la reserva. Tienen una habitación disponible para mí y mi esposa con poca antelación?"* Zemo started talking to the man at the reception, fluently and fast, not looking at Sophie at all. The man in front of them greeted him back, nodded to both of them in understanding before looking something up in his computer.
_____________________________________________________
* "Good afternoon, sir. Unfortunately, we do not have a reservation as my assistant made a small mistake in the reservation. Do you have a room available for me and my wife at short notice?"
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Mar 18, 2022 17:03:39 GMT -8
Sophie was nearly too busy marveling at the hotel’s glamorous interior to register that Zemo was now speaking fluent Spanish to the attendant at the front desk. She had no idea what was being said but was content to listen to the lovely foreign language with a hint of Sokovian accent. Another hidden skill revealed, one that was handy in their current situation but also dead sexy if she was being honest.
She continued to silently observe the attendant's actions with a pleasant and patient smile as the attendant continued to type and stare at the computer. Eventually the man made a request of Zemo, who retrieved his wallet in order to produce a passport and credit card. The attendant’s demeanor almost immediately shifted into something more animated and accommodating, as if the name 'Oscar Cesar Martinez' had some innate importance here.
“Lo siento, Senor Martínez. Tendremos lista tu habitación habitual tan pronto como podamos. ¿Senora, te sorprendió con este viaje de la misma manera que nos sorprendió a nosotros?”
Sophie was jarred from her admiring reverie when she realized the attendant was addressing her. “I’m so sorry, I don’t speak Spanish,” she apologized.
He laughed lightly and explained, “I asked if your husband surprised you with this trip the same way that he surprised us?”
She cast a sidelong glance at her partner, a wry grin crossing her lips. “Indeed he did,” Sophie confirmed. Being a married couple was of course the most obvious cover if they didn’t want to rouse suspicion, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with it. “Never a dull moment with my sweet cinnamon roll,” she cooed, her fingers gently brushing back the windswept strands of hair above his ear.
The attendant finished the check-in process and slid a key card across the counter to Zemo. “You are welcome to have a drink in the bar while we prepare your suite,” he informed them. “Would you like to schedule a couples massage in our spa before dinner?”
“Oh, that sounds lovely. Doesn’t it, darling?” Sophie slid a hand into the crook of his elbow and leaned closer, resting her cheek against his shoulder. “Especially after that long plane ride. Oscar gets terribly tense when he has to sit still for hours.”
______________________________________________________
* “I am sorry, Mr. Martinez. We will have your usual room ready as soon as we can. Ma’am, did he surprise you with this trip the same way he surprised us?”
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 26, 2022 4:24:42 GMT -8
“I asked if your husband surprised you with this trip the same way that he surprised us?”
Zemo couldn't help but grin at the fact that she hadn't understood any word and now ended up being Mrs. Martinez, his wife. However, her reaction to that news took him by visible surprise, although that got shown by no more than a very slight growth of his eyes.
“Indeed he did,”“Never a dull moment with my sweet cinnamon roll,”
There was no reaction coming from him, not on the outward, at least. Well, but who knew what was going on on his inside anyway? Not even his wife did, for Zemo was hard to read.
“You are welcome to have a drink in the bar while we prepare your suite,”“Would you like to schedule a couples massage in our spa before dinner?”
Zemo was just going to answer in the negative when Sophie was quicker with an answer, one in the positive, at that.
“Oh, that sounds lovely. Doesn’t it, darling?” “Especially after that long plane ride. Oscar gets terribly tense when he has to sit still for hours.”
He cast her a sideglance yet still didn't say anything. Feeling tense for reasons of sitting still for hours was not exactly a good description for him, but that probably was why she went for it. But as for the offering of a massage: well, why not. It was not like they would be doing anything morally reprehensible. A couples massage was just another massage, with the difference of getting it at the same time... and in the same room.
"Muchas Gracias, señor*," Zemo then nodded towards the attendant before leaving in the bar's direction, a slight smirk around his lips after a while. Then, finally, he spoke up again, now to only Sophie, yet without turning her head to the side. "You're having fun with this, aren't you?"
__________________________________________________________
* "Thank you very much, sir."
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Mar 26, 2022 7:31:59 GMT -8
"You're having fun with this, aren't you?"
"Sooo much fun," Sophie confirmed with equal discretion. "You chose the cover, dear. I'm just staying in character." She continued walking arm-in-arm with him until they reached the bar. She then released her grasp and climbed onto one of the barstools, trying to get the attention of the bartender. "A vodka martini, please. Two olives," she ordered, and stayed silent while Zemo did the same.
Once he'd done so, she let a few moments of silence pass between them. Enjoying this surreal moment but not wanting him to doubt her commitment to the mission. "Look, I know this is business, not pleasure," Sophie declared. "Just...give me a moment, okay? This whole day has been like a fairy tale or something. Private plane, chauffeur, luxury hotel. This isn't real life. Not for someone like me."
She thanked the bartender as he placed their respective drinks in front of them. "But apparently it is for you, Senor Martinez," Sophie observed of his alias. "Spend a lot of time here, do you?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 27, 2022 1:01:37 GMT -8
"Look, I know this is business, not pleasure,""Just...give me a moment, okay? This whole day has been like a fairy tale or something. Private plane, chauffeur, luxury hotel. This isn't real life. Not for someone like me."
Zemo nodded in understanding, a slight smirk around his lips, though. It was not like he couldn't appreciate some off-time as well, although he usually was much work-related, especially when it came to these missions. However, right now, they couldn't do anything else anyway, so why not wind down a little.
As soon as the bartender came up with their drinks, Zemo busied himself with that, though. It was just easier than conversing. Not that he would actually fear a conversation, he was just not used to it, especially not with someone who he still barely knew and was so chatty. Well, except for his wife, who, in the beginning, he'd had difficulties chatting with, too; Sometimes even had still today.
"But apparently it is for you, Senor Martinez,""Spend a lot of time here, do you?"
"I've been raised multicultural," Zemo explained while lowering the martini glass in his hand, "so Spain, Barcelona especially, practically is my second home."
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Mar 27, 2022 16:43:40 GMT -8
"I've been raised multicultural, so Spain, Barcelona especially, practically is my second home."
"Ah, for when you want to escape that run-down shack you own in Sokovia," Sophie remarked, biting an olive off the spear in her drink and sliding it into her mouth. "Don't worry, I won't embarrass you in front of your Spanish friends." She was still trying to wrap her head around how much wealth and privilege the Baron had grown up with, and how that jet-setting lifestyle had somehow paved the way for global HYDRA-hunting.
"You certainly left an impression on the hotel staff," she continued. "That front desk clerk had a change of heart once he knew your name. People seem to get awfully cooperative around you. Like our friend, Nasim. Must be your sparkling personality."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 1, 2022 4:38:14 GMT -8
"Ah, for when you want to escape that run-down shack you own in Sokovia,"
At that, Zemo gave her no more than a slight smirk and a silent look, saying exactly before taking another sip of the drink in his hand.
"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you in front of your Spanish friends."
"That pleases me no end," he replied, this time, without any sign of this being a joke, but she should know him well enough already to tell that it was. After all, it needed a lot to make him feel embarrassed, for he was good at doing so with others in situations he was feeling like it.
"You certainly left an impression on the hotel staff,""That front desk clerk had a change of heart once he knew your name. People seem to get awfully cooperative around you. Like our friend, Nasim. Must be your sparkling personality."
"Or, more likely, the personality of Senor Martinez," Zemo smirked with his eyes turned towards the bar. He didn't like to get complimented, be it in an honest or even just a teasing way, so it was easier to shove them, at least, in the direction of an alter ego.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Apr 1, 2022 17:38:13 GMT -8
"Or, more likely, the personality of Senor Martinez."
"But there's a seed of truth in every lie," Sophie reminded him. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be so convincing." Since he wasn't looking in her direction, she instead tried to catch his gaze in the mirror behind the bar, to let him know she was still a willing co-star in this charade. She doubted there was much daylight between Zemo and this chosen alter ego, and her compliment had been sincere even if sarcastic. He knew how to get things done. He was sophisticated and worldly, determined and somehow completely unburdened by doubt.
"It's a shame we have such a packed schedule. I can't imagine what sort of place Oscar would take Mrs. Martinez for dinner," Sophie mused, taking another sip of her drink. "No doubt some internationally-acclaimed restaurant with at least three Michelin stars. I'm sure the room service here is excellent, anyway."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 2, 2022 1:57:33 GMT -8
"But there's a seed of truth in every lie,""Otherwise, it wouldn't be so convincing."
Zemo said nothing in return, but, instead, only rose his glass once more towards his lips, ignoring her gaze towards him in the mirror behind the bar, although he was taking notice of that.
"It's a shame we have such a packed schedule. I can't imagine what sort of place Oscar would take Mrs. Martinez for dinner,""No doubt some internationally-acclaimed restaurant with at least three Michelin stars. I'm sure the room service here is excellent, anyway."
"You don't really think I would let you leave without having tried out the best food around the globe, or do you?" Zemo turned his head to the side, after all. He might appear not so talkative when it came to topics outside of business, but inviting her to Barcelona's best was actually of importance to him. Not even he would dare to leave without having eaten in the hotel's restaurant for another time.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Apr 3, 2022 13:12:07 GMT -8
"You don't really think I would let you leave without having tried out the best food around the globe, or do you?"
"I..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to suppress an excited smile. Zemo's expression certainly seemed serious rather than teasing. Sophie had basically resigned herself to the next 24 hours of studying schematics and blueprints, but she was open to a change of plans. "I have given up trying to figure out what you're going to do. But cheers, to pleasant surprises," she toasted, clinking her glass against his.
*********************************************
True to their word, it was not long before they were informed that the room was ready. An elevator ride to the fifth floor and a short walk down a hallway led them to the suite. The door opened to reveal a massive room, opulently decorated, with a balcony overlooking the courtyard. Sophie felt afraid to touch anything; it was like some roped-off room in an old estate that normal people would never actually live in. But Zemo proceeded to make himself at home, arranging luggage and unpacking. She placed her messenger bag and black bag on the chair by the window and opened the balcony door, letting in the warm breeze and the sounds of the street below. Sokovia had been cold and gray, and now they were in a different world.
Sophie had busied herself with studying the video security and emissions testing systems of the lab until the dinner hour finally arrived. She had nothing fancy enough to fit the dress code of the hotel's restaurant, but she felt sure no one would object given the company she was in. She coaxed her long blonde hair into an updo to give it at least a touch of formality.
The hotel's restaurant, Lasarte, proved to be as elegant as everything else. Sophie was more than happy to let Zemo take the lead as he pulled out her chair, then ordered from the menu, and conversed with the waiter about the best wine pairing for each dish. She scanned the crowd, picking up snippets of conversation and observing colorful and carefully arranged plates of food on the tables before them.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 25, 2022 2:44:30 GMT -8
Zemo took notice of Sophie's curious and almost reverential looks around, silently smirking. She'd done the same before when they had settled in their room. He didn't have to guess to know that she wasn't used to such standards. But better than the surroundings was the food.
"Don't worry," Zemo suddenly spoke up to get her attention back, scanning the crowd around himself before turning his head back in her direction. "I'll guide you through everything," he added, pointing at the set of cutlery and glasses. There was still this slight sign of amusement on his features, though.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Apr 25, 2022 15:34:07 GMT -8
"Don't worry, I'll guide you through everything."
"Oh, good, thanks," Sophie sighed in relief. "I'm rather out of my depth here." She did remember one piece of information -- to start from the outside with the cutlery. But there was so much of it and so many different glasses. It was all so...extravagant. "I suppose it's just a typical dinner for you, though," she chided. "Being royalty and all. Did you grow up in Sokovia? Or did they ship you off to some prestigious boarding school in England or Switzerland? I was under the impression that's what rich people do." She gave him a teasing grin, certainly not expecting an honest answer to any of her inquiries but it was a way to pass the time until whatever food he had ordered arrived.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 14, 2022 1:30:09 GMT -8
"Oh, good, thanks,""I'm rather out of my depth here."
That's what he thought and saw.
"I suppose it's just a typical dinner for you, though,""Being royalty and all. Did you grow up in Sokovia? Or did they ship you off to some prestigious boarding school in England or Switzerland? I was under the impression that's what rich people do."
And an honest answer she wouldn't get, indeed. Not even one at all because that was the moment when an elegant dressed waiter was nearing their table, a bottle of wine in his hand. With this resting smirk on his lips, Zemo turned his attention away from Sophie and, instead, towards the gentleman.
"Buenas noches, señor y señora. ¿Quieren probar nuestro vino blanco de la casa?"*
"Buenas noches, señor. Sí, nos encantaría. Gracias**," Zemo replied for both of them, not without another smirk in his company's direction, of course. He enjoyed speaking a language she didn't understand a little too much, not even knowing why. Maybe because it brought this special look to her face.
He added some more Spanish lines, obviously conversing about the wine before the waiter gave both of them a nod and left to another table.
"I hope you're a wine person and can enjoy a good one," Zemo uttered, still smirking, then clinking his glass to hers, not even waiting for an answer before taking a first sip.
______________________________________________________________________
* "Good evening, Sir and madame. Would you like to try our house white wine?"
** "Good evening, sir. Yes, we would love to. Thank you."
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Post by Kristi Lynne on May 14, 2022 9:16:12 GMT -8
"I hope you're a wine person and can enjoy a good one."
"Well, that I can do," Sophie assured him, raising the glass to her nose to smell it and then taking a sip. To be honest, she was never a fan of dry white wines, but this portion of liquid likely cost more than her monthly salary, so she would do her best to appreciate it. "But I think I still prefer the peppermint schnapps," she added, recalling that first frantic night they'd been thrown together.
"So you haven't asked, but I would assume you're curious about your new partner," Sophie offered. "We've established that I'm not descended from royalty, not used to the finer things as you are." She took a measured breath, unsure if she was speaking out of a desire for equal honesty or just to fill the silence. "My father was an architect, my mother was a secretary in the firm where he worked. I know, terribly scandalous. We lived on the outskirts of London. Not all that wealthy, but Emilia and I never wanted for much. After my O levels, I really wasn't sure what to do with my life."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 25, 2022 3:51:28 GMT -8
"Well, that I can do,"
Zemo watched her as she took a sip of the wine, obviously curious about her judgment. It didn't take him long, though, to guess that she was no wine person at all, or, at least, no white wine person. Fair enough. They surely would find something during their stay that she not only liked but really enjoyed.
"But I think I still prefer the peppermint schnapps,"
At that, Zemo had to smirk, chuckle even. "Yeah, nothing can beat peppermint schnapps," he agreed. That was one of the reasons why he always had at least one bottle of it at home. He was no drinker but truly a savorer when it came to alcohol.
"So you haven't asked, but I would assume you're curious about your new partner,""We've established that I'm not descended from royalty, not used to the finer things as you are."
Zemo raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. On the other hand, at this point, they had reached a partnership, so there was no need to keep their personalities a secret any longer. Zemo, however, liked to keep his a secret no matter what, probably more out of fun, though.
"My father was an architect, my mother was a secretary in the firm where he worked. I know, terribly scandalous. We lived on the outskirts of London. Not all that wealthy, but Emilia and I never wanted for much. After my O levels, I really wasn't sure what to do with my life."
"And never have you expected ending up with a charming baron somewhere in Barcelona," Zemo joked, yet with only little signs of a smile on his face. He was not one who went into questioning for the personally parts unless there was a reason to do so. Sure, he was actually curious to learn more about Sophie but also aware that she might do the same once he asked too personal questions.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on May 25, 2022 11:46:39 GMT -8
"And never have you expected ending up with a charming baron somewhere in Barcelona."
Sophie shook her head after taking another sip of wine. "No, no, I didn't see that one coming," she agreed. "But then you probably weren't planning to bring home a stray Mi-6 analyst when you went to work that night. I think it's turned out well for both of us, Senor Martinez."
The conversation, one-sided though it may feel, was interrupted by the arrival of servers laying plates in front of them. Sophie assumed these were appetizers and perhaps salads that Zemo had ordered. "So, what are we having for starters?" she inquired.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 4, 2022 3:32:32 GMT -8
"No, no, I didn't see that one coming,""But then you probably weren't planning to bring home a stray Mi-6 analyst when you went to work that night. I think it's turned out well for both of us, Senor Martinez."
Zemo was just going to say something when the arrival of their tapas interrupted. He was actually glad, though, as he didn't feel comfortable whenever a conversation turned too much into a personal chat. Maybe that was because Sophie seemed a lot more interested in getting to know him than others. Fair enough. They were partners now. Well, but he still wasn't used working with one.
"So, what are we having for starters?"
Now, that was a topic much more to his liking and a lot more in his comfort zone, at that. "In Spain, we say tapas," Zemo started to teach her before going into details about the food in front of them. "So, here we have pistos with a fried egg on top, the best way to serve them," he started, gesturing at what looked like little pieces of a ratatouille dish. "Those are patatas bravas, gambas if you like shrimps. And you don't want to miss trying these. Marinated Manchego. You can't call yourself a cheese lover if you haven't eaten this one," he informed, obviously deep in his element and about to go on before Sophie could have even tried anything.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jun 5, 2022 12:34:14 GMT -8
"So, here we have pistos with a fried egg on top, the best way to serve them. Those are patatas bravas, gambas if you like shrimps. And you don't want to miss trying these. Marinated Manchego. You can't call yourself a cheese lover if you haven't eaten this one."
Sophie tried to keep up as the Baron seemed to have found a topic he had no hesitation in expounding upon. It was already an abundance of food to begin with, much like the breakfast she had enjoyed with Zemo and his wife back in Sokovia. Since she was an admirer of cheese, she tried the marinated manchego first and then moved on to the shrimp. The pistos was a rich and colorful array of vegetables, followed by the patatas bravas. Sophie reasoned that anything potato had to be relatively safe so she placed a piece on her fork and dipped it in the neighboring sauce.
The heat from the spices hit her almost immediately. Her eyes began to water as she desperately downed the glass of wine. "Oh, blimey!" she cried, switching between fanning her mouth and shaking her head in distaste. "You didn't warn me," she whined to Zemo, who seemed to find her reaction far too amusing. "You're a jerk. How do I say that in Spanish? Tu eres un...jerk." She took several deep breaths as she recovered, sparks of mutual laughter seeping out.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 3, 2022 4:02:22 GMT -8
Zemo didn't start eating before he'd come to see at least a bit of a reaction on her features over all the new dishes and tastes. Most pleasure, however, he found in her trying the sauces, not even thinking about warning her with the one she reached out to. Instead, a slight smirk of amusement formed around his lips.
"Oh, blimey!""You didn't warn me,"
While Sophie was still busy cooling down from that inner heat, Zemo turned to chuckle at their table neighbors with some words she wouldn't get. "Es la primera vez que mi mujer viene a España. Le dije que tuviera cuidado con las especias."* The couple he spoke to reacted amused themselves, greeting Sophie with a friendly nod of their heads before turning back towards their own meal.
"You're a jerk. How do I say that in Spanish? Tu eres un...jerk."
Zemo raised an eyebrow at her trial. Right words, a little bit wrong pronounced. Instead of an answer, though, he raised his glass in her direction and took a sip from his wine, slightly smirking while he did.
________________________________________________________________________
* "It's my wife's first-time visit in Spain. I told her to be careful with the spices."
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jul 3, 2022 9:13:09 GMT -8
As Sophie continued to cool down, she gave a friendly smile and wave at the neighboring table, completely unaware of whatever Zemo might have said to them. "Right, I'm definitely going to stay away from that one for the rest of the night," she stated, pushing away the offending sauce as she continued to sample from other plates laid out in front of them.
But since she had succeeded in amusing him, Sophie decided to push her luck ever so slightly. "Can I ask you something?" she offered between bites and not really waiting for an answer. "Well, I mean, one more thing. That morning when I showed up to breakfast in that green dress of your wife's -- what did it remind you of? Nothing ever shows on your face but it did that day. Come on, Oscar, tell me just one true thing," she implored. "If I keep drinking this wine, I assure you I'll have forgotten it by tomorrow."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 9, 2022 4:09:29 GMT -8
Zemo was just lowering the glass in his hands, about to replace it on the table, when Sophie spoke up again, making him stop in the middle of this action, wary and yet curious.
"Can I ask you something?"
Of course, she wouldn't give him time to react to that, probably because she feared that he could negotiate the request, which, by looking at what was following, he might have.
"Well, I mean, one more thing. That morning when I showed up to breakfast in that green dress of your wife's -- what did it remind you of? Nothing ever shows on your face but it did that day. Come on, Oscar, tell me just one true thing,""If I keep drinking this wine, I assure you I'll have forgotten it by tomorrow."
Zemo was no shy person but uncomfortable about letting people, especially those he would like to keep a professional relationship with, in on private details. It might be the wine, however, that led him to, for once, forgetting his principles.
He took his time to put the glass back before actually launching into an honest answer. "It did remind me of our first night together." That will last for an answer, at least, to him. Zemo took the glass back into his hands, even though he just replaced it, emptying the rest of the wine in one go.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jul 9, 2022 11:01:54 GMT -8
"It did remind me of our first night together."
"Aw, all those years ago in Pittsburgh?" Sophie sighed, resting her chin on her propped up hand with an admiring expression on her face. She had finally touched on a vulnerability with him, a truth, but she oddly felt compelled to back off. There were real people, real families with their lives at stake here. "And now you two are having a son. Crazy, isn't it?"
Sophie straightened up her posture and hardened her expression again. "So we should conclude our business here and get you back to them as soon as we can," she stated. "After I've finished all this food. I mean, you're still buying, right?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Aug 8, 2022 5:44:18 GMT -8
"Aw, all those years ago in Pittsburgh?""And now you two are having a son. Crazy, isn't it?"
Zemo had no intention saying anything more to that, so all he did was show a rather reserved smile as he replaced the empty glass on the table in front of him. This was not the most comfortable conversation for him. Surely, Sophie knew that as well, though, by looking at how she went on with words that closed this topic.
"So we should conclude our business here and get you back to them as soon as we can,""After I've finished all this food. I mean, you're still buying, right?"
"Sure," Zemo nodded in agreement, trying to get rid of the little uncomfortableness from before, same as the memories her question had rose. He didn't need those in his head while having dinner with a different, not less attractive, woman. "There's no need to wolf it down, though. It would be a crime," Zemo joked again, a slight smile forming on the corner of his lips. Then he reached out for some more tapas for himself as well. God, he had missed the real thing, nothing compared to what they sell in other countries, even if they call it Spanish food.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Aug 13, 2022 9:50:30 GMT -8
"Sure. There's no need to wolf it down, though. It would be a crime."
“Oh, no, I have every intention of savoring every bite of all of this,” Sophie assured him, while trying to flag down the waiter for a wine refill. “As well as the next course, and dessert, and then whatever’s in the mini bar back in the room. Can’t plot the takedown of a shadowy evil organization on an empty stomach, now, can we?” she mused with a smile, eager to enjoy the last few hours of this unreal experience before both of them had to commit to business.
******************************************
When they had returned to the room after dinner, a brief disagreement over the sleeping arrangements had ensued. And though Zemo as a gentleman had offered to sleep on the couch, Sophie had insisted that the bed was big enough for both of them. When she assured the Baron that she could somehow resist his charms for the night, he had relented. Still, it felt awkward to lie there only inches away from the man.
The next day was spent driving the route from the cleaners’ office to FNCM Laboratories, making sure that there would be no surprises. Zemo continued to study the life and work of the German biologist whose identity he would be borrowing, as well as the equipment he would need to shut down the lab's refrigeration units. Sophie reviewed the security system and video surveillance, trying to find a way in, and settling on a sample of ethane (used in detergents and hopefully available in the cleaning van) as a way to trigger an evacuation of the lab.
As the second night set in, they'd happened upon Dr. Vogt alone in the hotel bar. Sophie had used some assets of her own to get invited back to his room for a more intimate look at his research. Whatever direction the professor had expected the evening to go, he was surely surprised when Zemo showed up to the room minutes later to relieve him of his clothing and credentials. They had left him bound and gagged to a chair in his room with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
Not long after sunrise, Sophie and Zemo packed up everything, returned the room keys to the front counter, and headed out into the street. Sophie took one last look to cement the memory of this glamorous setting in her mind before ducking into their hired car.
*** Sophie and Zemo leave for Barcelona - FNCM Laboratories ***
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