Monday, October 10, 2011

Ramble On

He cracked the door and poked his head out, much like a turtle. Radiant and resplendent, Genny hovered just beyond the door, a concerned look furrowing her dark eyebrows.  Damian wanted to reach out and smooth them.

"Uh, hi?" he tried.

The glow around her seemed to diminish when her dark eyes lit upon him.  Why is there a glow? his mind questioned, but she banished rational thought.  Likely, he was still reeling from his recent encounter, and needed to calm the hell down.  His mind had done stranger things.

Don't let her in, Inigo reminded.

Duh, Damian answered.

As if in compensation for the fading brilliance, her smile put in an appearance.  "Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"Ah..." Damian fumbled.

He pulled his head back in and looked at the bloody mess, then resumed his impression of a terrapin.  Genny raised an eyebrow.  He quickly slithered out of the room and held the knob near to close behind his back.  She backed up a step to allow him space in the narrow hotel hallway.

"Was just going to, um, get some dinner," he said.  As soon as it was out, he remember that he'd cancelled their date for the evening.  Or at least he'd tried to.  "Alone," he added quickly.  "I mean, they sent me to this work thing.  Last second notice.  You know how it is.  Or do you?  I don't know.  Probably wouldn't happen where you work.  I mean the bar is a nice place and all - I like it - but I doubt they send you out to customers.  Mostly they'd come in, I should think.  Did you get my message?"

He realized he was breathing heavily.

Also, he was dressed poorly.  He had on the same T-shirt he'd worn on the drive there.  The shirt had a picture of the Kool-Aid man on it and read: Oh Yeah!  There'd been no time to change.  Please God let there be no blood spatters, he prayed.  He looked down and found only Kool-Aid.  He returned a thanks for that.  And for pants.  His jeans were still clean, and - more importantly - on.

Genny giggled.  "You look fine," she laid warm hand on his arm, sending a jolt of electricity up his arm that paralyzed his movements.  "And, yes, I got your message," she added.

He let his tingling brain process that.  "Then why are you here?" he blurted.  He slapped a hand to his mouth.

She giggled again, bless her.

Looks like she is as crazy as you are, Inigo chimed in.  If she had any sense, she would be running.  Not laughing.

Shut up, Inigo.

"I'm sorry, Damian."  Damian's heart fell with her eyes.  "I just thought, well, maybe we could still have dinner even if the movie was out of the question?  If not, I completely understand.  It was sort of a crazy impulse, you know?  And I wouldn't normally do something like this, but just thought that, well, it'd be nice."

Damian stared.  She was the one rambling now.  To him.  Did he make her feel uncomfortable?

Her big, brown eyes rose to meet his.  In them, he saw what his mind refused to process.  Vulnerability.  How could he say no to her?

He forced himself to start breathing again.  Normally.  "Dinner.  Sure.  Of course.  I didn't even think- I certainly didn't mean to- I mean, I'd love to."  The door clicked behind him as he closed it the rest of the way.

"Wonderful," she said, beaming.

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