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The evening has come to New York City and the heat has begun to bleed off the metal, glass, and stone that makes up Manhattan. The inside of the club is smokey, and the music played is the relaxing sort of Jazz- smooth and quiet. There isn't anyone of particular fame on the dias this evening, local musicians who are just good at what they do.
A pair of large, suited men stand near a corner booth, a bald-headed woman sitting there quietly as she smokes a cigarello and sips a Manhattan- Alexandra Luthor, it seems, is enjoying a night on the town.
Forge apparently doesn't always have to restrain himself when he comes to the city. Stepping in, he finds a seat in a corner, and quietly starts off with a double.
The music continues it's soft flow- just a gentle shift of music that's perfect for relaxation on a Friday Night. It's still early in the evening, so the crowd hasn't gotten to the dance-party, funky jazz groups. No, for now, it's the right off work and enjoying a drink.
Lex looks at her two bodyguards. "Go home." she says to the two, "I'll be fine. No one would be dumb enough to attack me."
"But Ms. Luthor…" one of the men says, perhaps one who's particularly attached to his job, "It'll be alright, Matt. Take the night off, go find a girl- I'd rather just relax here without the ever watchful eye of another." she pats her jacket pocket. "
"Don't you worry. I'm well protected." she notes, the bodyguard nodding before both head on their way.
Forge glances to the bodyguards, as he has a belt of his drink, and finishes it, and then immediately signals for another. You don't often see that. Must be someone wealthy or famous. And well, that bald head, if famous, would be memorable. Must be wealth.
Julie has, meanwhile, filtered in among a small group of folks her age, drinks having been ordered, and people checking out the jazz act with varying degrees of enthusiasm and/or side-chatter.
Lex Luthor is both famous and wealthy. Filthy rich- and famous to anyone who knows high tech business. And to feminists. To the military- Alexandra Luthor is a genius, and she's made sure almost everyone knows it. Her weapons are top notch. Everything she touches seems to turn to gold.
"Another Manhattan." Lex says as the waiter comes by. "And get a round on me. It's a lovely Friday evening after all, don't you think? So why not share a little, hmm?" she wonders, as she reaches into her jacket pocket to pull out a roll of one-hundred dollar bills, dropping five of them on the tray. "That should cover it for now." she says, "Go on, get my Manhattan." she shoos the waiter away.
Forge receives a Manhattan in addition to his own preferred single malt. But he'll take it. Raising it to the woman, with an appreciative murmur, and then drinking it. Rapidly.
It seems to be a night for Manhattans, as Dizzy and a few among her tablemates have opted for those over martinis, …perhaps it's the departing bodyguards, but it's about when Diz turns a bit to spot Lex, and hrms. Glances back to the table, "Nah, Carmine, I think the gearing's right, maybe we could use a bit more weight in the tail, then you'll get the power down. I run a lot of wagons, remember?" Another glance about the place and there's Forge. She raises her own Manhattan a bit while she collects it.
Lex watches as drinks are just passed out to anyone and everyone. A free drink always get's people happy- a few more lifting in salute to the Lady Luthor in the corner, who raises her glass only slightly in a return salute as the jazz music continues to play it's smokey twists and turns in the early evening.
Forge gets up. He walks slowly. Not because he's had too much to drink, but because he's had just enough that he's aware that he hasn't had too much yet. Walking over toward Lex's table, he nods "Thank you," and takes a seat one table over. Julie and her group get a wave as well.
Julie gives a wave in return. "Heya, Mr. F. How ya doin?" She does return to her own table's discussion and a raising of glasses with mostly-Italian salutations.
"It's nothing, just a drink." Lex replies simply, as she sits back in her well tailored suit- very much out of place for the normal woman of this day and age. At least, if the bald head wasn't a dead give away.
She sips her manhattan, ashing the cigarello into a handy ash-tray. "It won't break the bank, and it makes the people happy."
Forge nods and finishes off his gifted drink, before settling back into the one he ordered. Not slowing down yet. "It's a gesture that deserves a word," he nods. Glancing briefly back at Julie's gaggle before returning his attention to the music.
Julie is meanwhile, shrugging to one of her relatives. "I been having Uncle Angelo and his boys keeping an eye out for like a Ranchero or something. At this rate we could just pay the freight and not be dealing with the rust or something. Maybe meet at the Summernats or something."
"Car talk, by the sounds of it." Lex offers to Forge, "And I do appreciate the thanks. It is uncommon for many to do so." she notes quietly, looking over to Julie with a touch of curiousity. "Is she a mechanic?" she wonders, eyebrows raising slowly. "You don't meet many females in engineering fields."
Forge glances again over his glass full of a brown liquid, then over to Lex. "She is. She works for an acquaintance in his garage. Helped me with a project on the side."
Julie is glancing between the company at the table at some ribbing. "Well, whattya want, allayouse is in a conspiracy to get me working on Fords as it is. " She winks to the other girl at the table. "There's Chevys if you guys won't have a… (some little stream of Italian language)"
"Hmm." Lex intones quietly as she leans back, sipping her manhattan. "Curious." she notes, listening still. Chuckling quietly at the Italian metaphor. "Italians. Very colorful people." he remarks, as she again ashes her cigarello. "Good customers, too." she remarks, "Now that they aren't facists, anyways."
Forge shrugs. "That was before my time in the service. By the time I was in uniform, Italy was on our side, giving medical support in the war."
"Then you do know my work- LexCorp is one of the US Military's primary suppliers." Lex notes, "I design the weapons that keep the world safe." she says simply, "Always a shock when the enemy finds out LexCorp is run by a woman. That a woman's weapons are ruining their days." She sips her Manhattan. "I do enjoy that, I admit. What must be going through their heads." she chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "Lex Luthor, by the way. A pleasure."
Julie glances up a bit though, as the word 'fascist' is mentioned. It's not particularly a look that seems charitable toward the fascisti, but, well, that war wasn't so long ago for a lot of families. Does sort of give a glance to Ms. Luthor though, perhaps actually hearing some of the overflow from the conversation.
Forge pauses abruptly when Lex introduces herself. He slowly lowers his glass, and turns a bit. "I had you pegged as wealthy, but I didn't guess that much. I work in Washington myself. Other contracting. Probably have subbed for you a few times." In response to her name comes his. "Forge."
"Few people have as much as me." Lex offers with a certain bit of arrogant pride, "But, I'm a self-made woman. Anyone can do it with hard work and some brains." she goes on, "It's harder for women, of course, but that just means you need to go twice as hard. And I have, so here we are." she says, still smiling- a wicked little smile. "It's possible I've hired you before. I hire a lot of people, though."
Julie does give a little raise of her glass. Certainly famous female inventors are on the radar of the young lady, if not her friend.
Forge nods and sips. "Well congratulations on work well done. Are you based here or on vacation?"
"I was born in New York City." Lex states, "I thought everyone knew that." she notes, "I'll have to work on my press kit." she notes to herself, an aside. "I was born in Hell's Kitchen." she explains, chuckling quietly and sipping her Manhattan.
She doesn't have to say anything, though, when the glass reaches empty and she eats the cherry- another is placed before her as if magic. Money talks, after all.
"And what about you, Mister Forge. What is it you do in this city?"
Julie smirks to something said at her table. Rock-paper-scissors happens for some reason. Dizzy shrugs. "Awright, you know I'll beat youse on a cold track anyway." She winks.
Forge sips again. "I do some poverty work up here. In the city, and the suburbs. The Communists want to divide us, and subversives in our own government would play right into their hands, but I believe in unity. Though I don't read press kits, so don't calibrate on me." A glance back at Julie, then back to Lex.
"Even people who don't read the news should know about me." Lex says simply, "Because I'm going to make those things happen. I'm the Lady with brains to solve every and any problem." she notes, "And I'll make this world a better place- that's the LexCorp promise. To make the world a better place, a safer place. First we make sure the Commies are on their way out, and trust me, the people in government who are against this country are on their way out." she says, "I've made some very generous contributions to all the right people."
Julie sees Forge's glance, and comes over, still seemingly nursing her first drink, giving a bit of a nod. "Talking shop, Mr. Forge?" she winks, apparently glossing over the politics for the moment.
Forge glances at each of them. Lex's monologue about solving thew orld's problems and altering the governance of the nation are noted, but not directly addressed. With a faint smile, he nods to Lex, then looks up to Julie. "Somewhat. The lady here was curious about you talking shop."
Sometime shortly after, Forge excuses himself, and walks very carefully out. He's practiced at not staggering when he's that drunk.
Lex nods as Forge heads on his way. She's still sipping her Manhattan. "Yes. I heard you speaking about some sort of engineering project. I was curious." she notes to Julie. "I've built my share of things, so, I'm always happy to see another woman in that sort of work."
Julie ahs, and smirks. "Family business. Well, maybe not so much engineering, but I got a chance to study some, so I'm taking it. Even if maybe I feel more cut out for the hand-on approach, but my uncle's in heloes and everything's going to turboshafts and maybe even jets that way, so at least there's that. My cousins and I, we're just getting ready for a little endurance rally they're putting on to give it a try, mostly. And, well, sometimes I help out Mr. Forge with some of his things. I think he'd rather be dreaming stuff up than fabricating a lotta the time."
Lex nods quietly, listening- another drink being placed on the table- the waiter looking quietly to Julie if she'd like anything. "I don't know if I caught your name." Lex says to Julie with a quiet smile. She seems like a nice lady!
"What's the family business, then?" Lex wonders, before switching to surprisingly fluent Italian, "Something interesting, I hope."
Julie ohs, glances at her near-finished Manhattan, then a racing watch, a bit big and riding inside her wrist. Says, "Ah, another one of these, thanks," she says, to the server clearly having a Manhattan, too, from the cherries. "Oh, ah, Dizzy Bottero. We're mostly in automotive, you know, towing, paint and body, some custom stuff. And, I got that uncle out west, does some aviation out of an old airstrip, we run drags there and a speed shop to help out, but civilian helicopters are catching on out on the West Coast, so he does a lotta that stuff too. Anyway, out here I do some custom jobs on the side, people got special requests and I spent some time out where they really do street rods and everything."
"Well, that sounds entertaining." Lex notes, "Going faster is always fun. You should come by LexCorp sometime, Dizzy." she offers to the young woman, "I've got a new fuel injection system I'm using in my jet engines. Just a little something I came up with the other day- it'll ensure the quantitative edge in our jets for at least five years."
She grins quietly, That wicked smile. "Of course, it sounds you're more interested in things like superchargers. First, you need to get rid of those clunky carburators and use a direct or indirect injection system. Much more powerful. A more controled reaction." she smiles, before taking a pad of paper out of a pocket and a pen to go with it. "You could probably fabricate it." she remarks, "What is your favorite engine?"
Julie ahs. "Well, guess it depends favorite for what. I'm running Rockester fuel injection on my Chevy, …kind of like those smallblocks. But those Jag engines with the triple carbs are still pretty good if you don't mind keeping em in tune." She smirks a bit, then sets a lap timer on that watch when another drink arrives. Pacing herself, quite literally, it appears. She eyes the sketch. Smirks. "What, no dual quads on yer jet engines?"
"The Rochesters are alright." Lex says as she draws, rather quickly, a V-8 Chevy engine. It's clear she's very familiar with engineering from the way she draws it. "That's a trade secret." she notes, towards Dizzy as then she begins to draw a fuel-injection system for the V-8 engine in question. A brand new, never been seen method to inject fuel into that engine. "It should allow for a better fuel to air ratio. More power." she notes as she draws another little thing, "If you added a turbocharger, well. You'd be well off. Forget superchargers- it'll add mechanical load to your engine. This will give you a better power ratio."
Lex draws, in detail, how to make her new injection system for that particular engine and slides it over to Julie. "There you go. Show the boys who's boss."
Julie hrms, smirks, "Right in the manifold ports, eh? I kinda came by some nitro injection from a fighter plane, someone tried bunging that into a Ford big block. Right idea, maybe, way too much goofy gas." She makes a 'boom' gesture. "Anyway, that's a real cool idea. Probably need some kind of vacuum distributor for each cylinder and something to keep fuel under good pressure to make it work, though. I seen big turbos on aviation engines, anyway, but no way a smallblock could push those. Couple foreign outfits make some, though," she thinks.
"I can't give you all the answers, sweetheart." Lex says with a quiet smile, as she leans back and finishes her drink. "You keep that. You're a smart girl, you'll figure out how to use it best. COnsider it a freebie." she waves as she pulls another few hundred dollar bills from her pocket and tosses them on the table. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Lovely to meet you, Dizzy."
Julie smiles, getting up, and says, "Hey, thanks, Miz Luthor. This could be fun to play around with. If you don't mind centrifugal superchargers, maybe. I got hold of this Avanti mill. Que bella."