|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:12 pm
When the waitress regarded him, Parker said, "Water please," and then looked back to Dani as if the other woman had suddenly ceased to exist. Dani stood out to him more than any other girl in the room. It was not something he realized consciously, but if someone asked him what the hair color of the waitress was, Parker would be hard pressed to remember. Typically, he was observant of his surroundings. Around Dani, he was observant of her, how she touched her hair or wrinkled her nose, how her hands fussed at the edge of her shirt.
Even now, as she spoke to him, Parker was fast at work memorizing the lines of her face and the wave her lips moved over words. "Probably not important, no," he said, nodding.
A brief silence passed, but the waitress saved the day, stopping by the table to drop off the two waters. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and asked, "Are you two ready to order?" The place was moderately busy, but Parker was impressed by how efficient the waitress was.
Again, he glanced to Dani and waited for her to order. Then he said, "I'll take the Portabella Penne." The waitress picked up the two menus, and Parker offered a semi-polite smile, even if a bit forced.
Sitting at the table, Parker tried to look unassuming. He could be normal when it was just him and Dani on any other day, but something about this dinner made the boy feel especially tense. He couldn't help but feel like it meant so much more than met the eye. Dani seemed to be flirting with him. Her parents had recommended this place. She didn't ask guys to dinner often. With those powers combined, this was a date -- or at least Dani was trying to send a message. Or was she? It was so easy for Parker to slide between certainty and uncertainty in this situation that it was almost annoying.
A silence threatened to descend, but Parker fought it off. "I don't go out to restaurants with other people much. The people aren't Hillworth aren't really the kind who have the resources to dine outside of the cafeteria, not most of them anyway," he said, shrugging. "I like how they light the ceiling." Parker pointed a finger upward at the lights wrapping across the ceiling on strings. It was a simple touch, but a nice one. Even Parker could appreciate that.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:17 pm
Dani had to pat herself on the back for the decision to go to Henry's. Okay, so it had been on a suggestion from her mother, who had been more than amused to learn Dani was taking a boy to dinner, but she still deserved most of the credit. She could have gone anywhere, but she'd chosen a restaurant that Parker seemed to like. If she had been the type of girl to keep a diary regularly, she would have documented her victory. As it was, she would just have to settle for being pleased with herself and move on.
"This place is really nice. My parents had their first date here, actually." Dani was not the kind of girl who simpered and sighed at romantic comedies. She enjoyed them, but they didn't melt her heart or make her want to rush out and find a man of her own. She was barely the kind of girl who tolerated dating a guy, even, but the charm of being in the restaurant where her parents had attempted their first awkward date made her eyes go a little soft.
That was real, though. It wasn't scripted movies or made-up books or anything like that; it was her parents, and it was their story, and the whole reason she was even alive. She thought she could get a little sentimental over it without completely ruining her image of being a practical, confident, self-assured girl who was too smart for your chick flick lines, thank you very much.
"I usually eat at home, actually, so this is kind of a treat for me too." A treat that was going to come straight out of her concert funds, but oh well. It was worth it. "Except when my parents are on Date Night, then I usually grab a bite on my walk home and munch or whatever."
She began to draw a pattern on the tabletop with one finger, still looking at Parker as she did. It wasn't a bad look, or even a particularly good one, just thoughtful. "So, if I'd told you we were going to dinner, would you have come anyway?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:51 am
Parker was exactly the kind of girl boy to keep a diary. Of course, he called it a journal and hid it in a hollowed out book. (You couldn't trust the other boys at Hillworth not to pry or steal. No one wanted to look at what appeared to be a copy of War and Peace.) It wasn't always personal stuff. A lot of it was political ramblings that made it into his blog, The Proletariat Provost. Dani was in there though, and his father. There was a lot about his mother and about how he imagined his little sister Colie must have been when she was alive. After tonight, there would be another entry, one that detailed how much he liked Dani, how certain he was that their relationship was doomed, and how he wasn't sure if that would keep him away from her.
Reaching forward, Parker lifted his glass of water and took a sip, wiping his mouth off with the side of his hand. Her parents had their first date here? Wow. Parker wasn't sure what that meant, exactly, but he thought it meant something. "They've lived in Destiny City for a long time then," he said, a hollow comment to avoid a more meaningful one. Despite what he divulged in the hospital, Parker was still not entirely comfortable talking about his family situation. Good thing Dani was a big talker. She didn't leave an awkward pause, she didn't make him feel like he needed to share anything too, which girls always wanted him to do. This, too, made him like her. Even more.
In the little time that he had known his parents as a couple, there had never been a Date Night. Every now and then, his father would get sober for a few days, maybe a week, and suddenly he would transform into this charismatic, excitable man who only wanted to tell his wife how beautiful she was. Those were the days he came home to find them dancing in the living room, his mother's hair hanging loose as she twirled in circles. On those days, it was as if his father's transgressions disappeared entirely, wisps of smoke gently rising out of the house. She never said so, but Parker thought his mother stayed with his father for so long solely because of those moments. A single glimpse of the old Marcus Damhnait was enough to sustain her for months.
These thoughts were depressing, and so Parker focused on the question Dani asked instead. "I don't have a busy schedule. It's not like people are clamoring to go to dinner with me," he said, his laugh ringing with self-deprecating tremors. He knew this response wouldn't be enough for her so he kept going. "I would have come, Dani. I don't do things that I don't want to do. I'm not... a people-pleaser." He laughed again, the same one as before, and then took another drink of his water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:38 pm
"Oh, yes. I've lived here my whole life, too."
It was funny how two people could live in the same city their entire lives and never meet. Dani was sure she'd never crossed paths with Parker, though knowing that was nearly impossible. Her logic was, of course, that she'd been compelled to approach him in the park that day, and she was a person who had not changed much in personality since she was precocious, competitive toddler in grade school. If she'd met Parker before, she reasoned, she would have introduced herself and struck up a conversation. It only made sense.
It was entirely unrealistic, but Dani rarely stopped to consider the logistics of something she'd decided. She'd decided on it, hadn't she? So it had to be correct, and even if it wasn't, she'd like to see someone prove her wrong.
Idly, Dani wondered what it would be like if people were competing to spend time with Parker. Naturally she would win, she thought, because she and Parker got along well, and she wouldn't settle for anything less. She liked being able to call Parker pretty much whenever and plan for them to spend an afternoon together, and she realized with sudden clarity that she'd be rather annoyed if anyone tried to budge in on that. Clearly, other people didn't know what they were missing out on when it came to spending time with Parker, but she wasn't exactly complaining.
He was serious and smart, but he didn't try to make her feel stupid. Dani really liked that about him, and she also liked that it felt like she was winning something by getting closer to him. He was guarded, that was for sure, and she didn't think there were all that many people who would be able to boast getting along so famously with him. Like her, he was probably often misunderstood by people who didn't have enough patience to scratch beneath the surface, even for a moment.
Well, they didn't deserve a friend like Parker anyway.
"I like that you aren't a people-pleaser." She sipped her own water, set it back down on top of the paper coaster. "It feels a lot less fake, you know? Like, now I'll never worry if you're doing something because you want to or just because you were asked."
Boys could play games as much as girls could, and she was relieved to know that she didn't have to worry about that with Parker. It occurred to her that he might wonder about the same thing, so she clarified, "I don't do things I don't want to, either. So if you ever wonder, don't."
There was music playing softly in the background of the restaurant, and the track switched as she finished speaking. Underneath the table, Dani began to tap her foot to the song, a smile lingering on her face.
Things were really going well, actually.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:05 am
If Parker had met Dani as a child, he thought he would remember. The powder blue hair was unusual, and her aggressive personality would have made an impact for certain. Would things have been different if he had met her when he was younger? Parker was so different now. Besides, he hadn't actually moved to Destiny City until he was 13. In the time that he lived there, he learned the city fast. He had no other option. His father never took him anywhere, and Parker learned to navigate the streets and the subway as well as older people who had spent all their lives in DC. Part of him wished his father had been arrested back where they used to live so that his name would be smeared over all of the papers back there, back where he didn't care what people knew.
But then he might have never made it to Destiny City. This provided pluses and minuses. It would have meant no Hillworth, but there was no telling what school he would have been sent to in the other town. It would have meant no senshi or negaverse attacks. It would also mean no Dani. And no juicy information for The Proletariat Provost. Parker couldn't say he was happy about it, but he could say that anything else would be better.
After Dani set her glass down, Parker picked his up, sipping again. It was a way to occupy his hands. He couldn't help but smirk at what Dani said. She said she would never have to worry that he was doing something he didn't want to do -- but hadn't she asked just that moments ago? It was a tiny glimmer of hypocrisy, but it made Parker grin because he knew he wasn't the only one feeling a little uncertain about what was going on between them. That shard of shared nerves and confusion gave the boy confidence, a slight urging to be more open with how he felt. Not very open, but a little bit more. For Parker, everything happened in little degrees, and Dani had successfully encouraged him to turn his dial up.
"That was never a question for me," he said, laughing a little. "I don't think you would ever do anything you didn't want to do. Or that anyone could make you."
Dani was self-assured, confident, and a tiny bit controlling. Parker didn't mind it. It seemed to him that she liked to take the lead in situations. Even refusing to tell him where they were going was a kind of power play. She held the reins on what they were doing, but lucky for her, Parker preferred it that way.
In the lapsing silence, the waitress appeared again carrying two plates on her arm. She placed the first one in front of Dani and the other in front of Parker. "Here you go. Everything look okay?" Her eyes bounced from Parker to Dani.
Parker spoke first, "Yes, it's fine." It wasn't the more emphatic response, but Parker wasn't the most emphatic person. The penne steamed below him, shooting curls of smoke into his nostrils. It smelled absolutely delicious, and it was all Parker could do to wait to eat until Dani started. Instead, he reached for his silverware, unrolling the pieces as they clicked against one another. Parker deposited the napkin in his lap and then glanced back to Dani to wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:38 pm
Dani wasn't ashamed of who she was, nor was she often apologetic about her personality. She was a strong, confident young woman, one who knew what she wanted and went for it, odds be damned. She'd been raised to believe in herself and understand that if she tried hard enough, she could accomplish most anything. So, while she could feel a little bit peeved at Parker's phrasing, as she had been earlier, she chose to accept it with grace this time. It was simply who she was.
Daniela Rymner. Smart, determined, enthusiastic. She didn't do things she didn't want to because she was resourceful and bright enough to find a way to do things her own way, and people rarely forced her to do anything because she was stubborn as a mule. Sometimes, it got her in trouble. Sometimes, everyone had to get into a little trouble.
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." It wasn't one of those baseless statements, either. Dani meant most thing she said, and she was glad she and Parker had cleared the air on that particular issue.
Their food arrived, and she inhaled discreetly, more than pleased with her selection. Parker's also smelled really good, and she debated asking him to swap a bit of hers so she could have a bite. Were it a casual lunch, at the school or something, she wouldn't have hesitated, but this was Parker and they were actually out to dinner. So, she refrained, instead opening her silverware and draping her napkin over her lap.
She looked up, realized Parker was waiting on her, and waved her hand at him. "Dig in. That smells delicious, by the way. I am going to have to try it next time."
Next time with him? Or next time she went to the restaurant?
It didn't occur to Dani that she was being ambiguous, because she was too busy enjoying her chicken. Yum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:09 am
At Dani's prodding, Parker did, in fact, dig in. The penne speared easily on his fork, and at once, Parker was glad it hadn't been spaghetti or angel hair pasta. He wasn't the neatest eater in the world. The idea of wearing his dinner on his shirt was not appealing, especially in front of Dani. The pasta was delicious with a garlic after-taste that made Parker hungry for more. He wasn't the most patient eater, taking bite after bite like it was some kind of race. About halfway through his pasta, he realized he was eating like someone who hadn't been fed in two weeks. He slowed, eyes flickering up to Dani.
Yep, now would be a good time to put the fork down and resume the conversation.
The fork settled on the plate with a click, and Parker reached for his water, washing down the lingering bits of food. "It's very good," he said, a bit sheepishly. If he was trying to make some kind of impression, Parker wasn't being very consistent. He flew from accidentally pushing her buttons to complimenting her to maintaining a mature distance to eating his body weight in pasta like a six-year-old. Who exactly was he being right now?
A few moments passed, and Parker took another sip of water. Then another. It was beyond him to talk about petty things when there were so many important, bigger questions lingering on his lips and tongue. He asked one of the most harmless, eyes flickering up to Dani's. "I have wondered," he began, adjusting his cast. "What made you stop and talk to me that day in the park? I don't think it was my air of... charm." Ever since he met Dani, he wondered why she continued to come to see him. Parker had friends, but very few, if any, had ever been girls. He tended to rub people the wrong way at some point. They would get mad and expect an apology, but Parker would only explain to them how irrational their anger was, thereby making them more angry until the whole friendship unraveled. He never meant to be so destructive. It was just his nature to be a bit cold, standoffish.
So why had Dani stayed? What about him made her look twice? He wanted to know, if only to understand what she was looking for in him a bit better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:49 pm
Though Dani didn't attack her own meal with quite as much verve as Parker, she certainly enjoyed it. She paced herself while eating because of the knowledge that she would be more aware when she was full if she did; if she ate how she wanted to, she probably would have looked like Parker did. Most girls ate delicately out of appearances, but Dani didn't care much about that. She knew she wasn't the most feminine young woman, but it wasn't like she was masculine, so she felt she had nothing to worry about.
In short, she knew she looked good and that her appearance and overall appeal wouldn't change if she ate quickly. She just didn't because overeating was unhealthy.
Still, even if she hadn't been supremely unconcerned about how she appeared to others, she would have probably still restrained herself because it was Parker. No matter what she wanted to admit to, there was a small, girlish part of her that didn't want to disgust or otherwise horrify her dinner companion.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin, looked at Parker in surprise. The question seemed odd to her, but it shouldn't have. She supposed most normal people didn't approach others when they were sweaty and disheveled after a jog, strike up a conversation, and then persistently spend time with them afterwards. Dani prided herself on being herself and had the bad habit of assuming that people who liked her knew her as well as she knew herself. She felt like Parker had known her forever as opposed to only a few short weeks, and it surprised her to have to explain herself.
"I finished my jog early and you were sitting alone." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. It had been as simple as that at the time. "You didn't look like a total creep, so I figured why not?"
She pressed her lips together, tilted her head and looked at him in curiosity. If Parker was wondering about it even now, it was probably something that had been bugging him for a while. She wondered why he hadn't brought it up earlier, decided to ask him.
"Has this been bothering you? Why didn't you ask before?" Her eyebrows were lifted in obvious surprise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:16 pm
Parker didn't typically feel transparent, but in that moment, he did. Dani was entirely correct. It had been bothering him. The idea that a pretty girl would stop to talk to him for no particular reason was almost unfathomable. Most people who stopped to talk to him on the street just wanted to know the time. "Not bothering," he said, adjusting his fork on the plate. "Just interesting." More like perplexing. Parker knew this wouldn't be a good enough answer for Dani so he continued, "When we first met, I thought about what would make you want to continue to try to see me. I'm not particularly welcoming, or warm, or any of the normal things that make people appeal to other people on a daily basis." If there was one thing Parker was, it was self-aware. He could diagnose all of the things most people hated about him in an instant with the same level of emotion that a person ordering fast food might show. He knew people saw him as a miserable pessimist. He just usually didn't care.
So Dani's sheer dismissal of all the traits that most people disliked about him was incredibly interesting.
His fingers were restless, and Parker adjusted his fork again. "I'm still trying to figure you out," he said at last, as if that might explain everything. Parker liked to think that he had a very good grasp on the world and all the people in it. He could appraise people like they were things in a store and try to determine their value, what made them work. In most cases, he found a satisfactory explanation quickly. In Dani's, he just ended up writing in his journal a lot.
Lifting his fork, Parker twirled a little pasta on to it. "I'm happy I only look a little bit like a creep. Not totally," he said, though it was unclear whether he was joking or not. He took a bite of his pasta, chewing carefully, and then washed it down with a sip of water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:25 pm
Dani listened patiently, which was not a particular habit many would assume her readily capable of. It was true that she often made up her own mind and while she was open to suggestions, she was stubborn and rarely actually changed it, but that didn't mean she couldn't listen, especially not when she liked someone. She frowned faintly at Parker's estimation of himself, and because she wanted to say something, shoved some chicken in her mouth.
No one could say Dani didn't realize when she needed to shut up. She just didn't usually act on that knowledge.
Chewing, she watched him, taking in his constant movement, be it from his eyes, hands, a restless shift in his seat. It occurred to her all at once that Parker might be nervous, and she found the concept absolutely adorable. She generally didn't have much patience for people who didn't realize their own appeal, but then again, she also didn't have much patience for people with ego. Parker wasn't exactly like most, though; he actually was antisocial and a bit awkward and overall not exactly the easiest person to relate to. Because all of these things were true, she cut him some slack.
She also pointed her fork at him, one eyebrow hiked to her hairline. "I like you. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have gone to see you at Hillworth, or the hospital. I didn't know I was going to like you when I sat down next to you, but I did."
Normally Dani wouldn't bother boosting anyone's ego, either, nor would she sound so friendly about it. Generally, talks like this were delivered in a very duh tone of voice. For Parker, it was only mildly duh. "You're different. Not like, different in a bad way, but different in a good way. You're smart and serious, and it's a nice change from ninety percent of the population of teenage boys. It's hard to make you smile," she added. "Most guys, I just have to wiggle and they smile, even if I don't want them to."
She rolled her eyes, waved her cast in dismissal. "I feel like more than a C cup when I talk to you." TMI a little, Dani. "Anyway, what about you? I'm probably totally not your type. I don't like, quote Einstein and I talk a lot and I force you to go to things like birthday parties when you have a broken arm."
Intrigued now, she leaned forward slightly, honest curiosity in her eyes. "What makes you want to hang out with me?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:05 pm
Parker wasn't fishing for compliments with what he said. When Dani started to recite the reasons she liked him, he was beside himself. Most people just wanted to tell him what they didn't like about him. The friends that he did have were largely of convenience, not because of some deep emotional connection or understanding. Parker doubted it was possible to form honest emotional bonds outside of survival -- be it reproduction or protection in numbers. It didn't make the words that Dani was saying any less nice to hear.
It took a good bit of control not to glance down at Dani's chest when she referenced it. Twice. "I'm likable because I don't accost you sexually," he said. It wasn't clear if he was kidding or not, but it was certainly clear that Parker was terrible at accepting compliments. She mentioned her breast cup, but that didn't phase Parker. He had an eye for that sort of thing, probably from a youth spent looking at Victoria's Secret catalogs. He might be smart and serious, but Parker was a teenage boy. He had porn on his laptop. He checked out Dani when she wasn't looking. Still, if it made her think well of him to not see that, then Parker was happy to stay silent.
As nice as Dani was being, Parker could not bring himself to say the things that he wanted to say. He wasn't going to tell Dani that she lit up his life. He wasn't going to tell her that her visit to the hospital made life a little bit more bearable. He certainly wasn't going to tell her that he had looked forward to their day together every moment since she texted him. It was beyond him to be that open with her, no matter how open she was being. So he said the wrong thing. "I like that you are willing to admit that some of the things that you think are not entirely logical. You are secure in who you are," he said, taking another bite of pasta. His plate was almost empty, and Parker was nearly stuffed. He probably should have said something else. He took a sip of water instead and thought to himself about everything that had happened.
She kept saying she liked him.
He kept saying that he liked her.
They liked each other.
And then Parker did something that surprised himself. "Dani, is this a date?" he asked, setting his fork down. There was nothing to read in his face -- just ambivalence. Internally, he just wanted the answer. Parker hated rejection, but he hated being led on even more. He couldn't live a life full of dinners where they said nice things about each other without ever knowing where he stood. No, he had to know -- even if it hurt.
As if on cue, the waitress reappeared with a small black folder in her hand. She set it down on the table, beaming at both of them. "No rush, kids, but here is the check," she said. A table a few feet away waved in her direction. She smiled and quickly turned to Dani and Parker. "Let me know if you need to-go boxes." And then she dashed away to the other table. Parker did not look at the check. He had no intention of looking away from Dani until she told him what he wanted to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:22 pm
It was a good thing Dani hadn't been expecting much out of Parker. She was still a little irritated that the things that made her appealing were so few in number, but she had a feeling Parker was just keeping quiet because... well, she didn't know why. She did know that she was frankly amazing, so that couldn't be the only reasons he liked her, but she'd let it slide this time. Eventually, he was going to have to give a little bit, but she could sort of be patient. When it mattered, anyway.
Who was she kidding? She was annoyed, hypocritically, that he'd only mentioned her confidence in herself and something about the way she thought. It was nice to be appreciated for who she was, but she was a bit vain and she did like to know that she was attractive. Well, she knew, but that was beside the point. She wanted to know that Parker knew she was attractive, or better yet, that she was attractive to him. Wasn't she?
For a moment, Dani felt uncharacteristically insecure, and she did not like it.
"Well that's.... nice. Thanks." She wasn't great at hiding what she felt, so it was obvious there was some dissatisfaction on her face and in her voice.
She dropped her eyes to her plate, pushing the food around a bit, and lifted her shoulders. It was strange, because he hadn't said anything to make her shrug, but it seemed like she was having a small internal conflict. Why should she care that Parker didn't have very many nice things to say about her? She knew she was a good person. She knew she was pretty, and smart enough, and she was funny when she wanted to be. Maybe she wasn't the kind of blonde bombshell you saw in movies, but she was definitely better looking than the average girl, and she was fit and confident too, which only made her more appealing. She knew all of these things about herself.
But really, was it so much to ask for Parker to realize them too? Augh.
Her head snapped up when he asked her a question, and Dani had another peculiar, uncharacteristic feeling. Anxiety. Whether she was just overconfident or was actually a little too dense to recognize fear in most situations, there was no denying the sudden flop of her stomach, or the widening of her eyes at the question. Well... well, damn it all! He wasn't just supposed to come out and ask that! She was supposed to figure out over the course of dinner whether or not he was gay, whether or not he was interested in her, and whether or not he considered it a date.
Now she was on the spot and he'd taken control from her. Or had he? She was pretty sure that, as willing to go with the flow as Parker had been so far, if he didn't consider this a date, he wouldn't hesitate to tell her. Then she would be embarrassed, and she hated being embarrassed. It was probably the most useless emotion in the world.
"I--" Then the waitress appeared, and she shut her mouth quickly, nodding and smiling as the thin black book was set on the table. When she looked back to Parker, it was to see that he hadn't looked away.
Fingering the edge of the folder, she raised her eyebrows, thankful that she was tan enough to not make the light flush on her face glaringly obvious. Another moment passed in silence before she shrugged, nose wrinkling just slightly in agitation.
"Well." Oh my God, she was embarrassed. She had a moment where she wanted to snap at him because of it, just to redirect any attention from the awkwardness she was feeling, but she bit her tongue at the last second. Truly, she was showing remarkable restraint. "What kind of question is that?"
Okay, so her restraint wasn't so great. Damn it.
She flattened her hand against the top of the check folder, sliding it toward herself. "I mean, we're two people. A guy and girl. Going to dinner. We like each other tolerably well," she added, unable to help the slight pout in her voice. Memo to Dani: work on hiding your emotions better. "So, I guess, technically, yeah? A date?"
Drumming her fingers against the folder, she demanded, "Why? Do you not want it to be a date?"
She was definitely red now.
Damn it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:01 pm
As much as he liked Dani, Parker wasn't one to pad egos. Dani knew she was beautiful. So he didn't have to tell her. If things progressed from here, Dani would quickly learn that Parker was not the kind to compliment. He always assumed that the other person understood how he felt. So why did he need to say it out loud? That had been a problem with Natalie too, the only girl he really formally considered a Girlfriend, capital G. Parker picked up on the disappointment on Dani's face, but he chose to ignore it. It would be awkward to do otherwise, and very un-Parker-like to suddenly explode in a flurry of compliments. If he was made to say it, then it really didn't hold the same value, did it? No, his compliments were like precious, precious gems. They were more special because they were far less frequent.
Duh.
Parker could see Dani squirming. It was bizarre. And oddly... attractive. Hey, he could have the upper hand too! Most people didn't know where they stood with Parker, but to him, it was quite obvious. By coming to this dinner, he felt it was obvious that he cared about Dani. Parker preferred the company of his computer on most days, but this one girl made him feel comfortable enough to seek a friendship, a relationship even. Parker was self-sufficient enough to be a loner for the rest of his life, but he would never be able to flourish without support and security. He needed someone to show him how beautiful the world could be, how people could be worthy of trust, how some things are worth fighting against logic to save. Could Dani be that person? Maybe not. But she was the first person in a long time to stir him to action.
He gave a damn, and that was unique in and of itself.
So he asked the question that was on his mind. Not because he wanted to pull one over on Dani, but because he felt as though he had to know now. It seemed like Dani liked him, but he needed to hear it, to know she wasn't just ******** around with him. He had been the boy who girls were dared to date before. He had no intention of going there again. For crying out loud, he was eighteen years old now. Next year, he would be at college. Wasn't he old enough to be a little bit more aggressive with women?
When Dani stammered over her response, Parker did not say anything. He gave it an extra beat. Two extra beats. Then three. His cool eyes flickered up to her face, and then down to the check. Leaning forward, he put two fingers on the edge of the black notebook and dragged it across the table toward himself. He reached for his wallet and slid out a small silver card, tucking it neatly into the pocket of the folder. Then he looked back at Dani. "Okay," he said, expression ambivalent. Was he playing with her? Was this a joke? Was he into it? Did he feel forced?
THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:47 pm
Okay?
... okay?
She was surprised enough that she didn't fight it when he took the book, offended enough that she actually kept her mouth shut for a moment. She'd just told him they were on a date, and he said okay? That gave her absolutely nothing. Did he like the idea, hate it? Was he just humoring her? Was he already planning his way out? Was he going to block her number and tell the security guards not to let her into Hilllworth?
It was enough to make her want to lean over the table and pop him one. If they hadn't been in a restaurant, she actually might have. She settled for curling her hand into a fist, sliding it under the table to rest on top of her knee.
Okay, really? A rock would have been more excited to be on a date with her.
She opened her mouth, closed it, waited while Jenny took the check and disappeared again. Only when she was seventy-five percent certain she wouldn't bite his head off did she finally speak, but she sounded highly unimpressed.
"You don't have to get the check." She reached for her purse, managed to fumble it on top of the table. Was she a little hurt? "I mean, we can go halves. Or whatever. I did ask you out."
Her face was still red, but there was something aside from embarrassment there now. She was fifteen, and she was feeling a little bit slighted. She wouldn't burst into tears or anything, because Dani was not that kind of girl, but she was unnaturally stiff when she brought her shoulders in.
Did he really not care? This was worse than just being told no, this was just being... brushed off. She didn't like it at all. Her lips opened, trembled over saying something, closed.
Then, she decided what the hell, and lifted her hand again, pointing. "That's it? Really?"
The stiffness was gone, but temper was in its place. Subdued temper, because Dani didn't want to cause a scene even now, but her voice was thick with it as she demanded, "That's all you have to say? Parker, if you don't want to go out with me, just say so. I'll say it right now, I like you, okay? I like you. But I'm not going to just --"
She worried the inside of her cheek, exhaling. Tapped her fingernails quickly against the surface of the table. "Sorry. Okay, sorry. Parker, I think I went about this the wrong way."
Admitting that was a big thing for her, a very big thing. In the back of her mind, she hoped he appreciated it. She breathed in deeply, held up her hand as though to placate him. If only he were the one who was trying very hard to keep a tenuous control on temper.
"I'm going to ask you if you want to go out on a date, after this. Me and you, as a couple, okay? If you don't want to, that's fine, but I want you to be clear." Her cheeks burned. "I like you. This isn't just a game, or something that... doesn't matter. I've only dated one person, so... so it's a big deal, okay?"
She was definitely hurt. It was hidden under anger, but more obvious now that she was fighting that back.
Jenny came back with the book and a slip for Parker to sign, but Dani didn't even look at her. This time, she was the one refusing to glance away, too much of what she felt in her face, seeing too little in Parker's in response.
When it had begun to matter so much, she didn't know, but she wasn't going to get up from this table until she had more than an okay. Even if it meant she was dumped on her face before a "them" even began.
Anything was better than okay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:41 am
Parker had communication problems with most people in the world. He was frequently misread. He frequently said things that he felt were innocent, but that hurt the feelings of another. He was frequently frequent about a lot of things. Basically.
When Jenny came to take the check, Parker nodded politely at her, and in that brief turn of the head, he missed the beginning of Dani's freak out. He turned back when she began to speak. Wait -- why wouldn't he get the check? Of course, he would get the check. This was a date. Halves? Wait. Didn't she just say this was a date? Parker might have less traditional views of the male-female gender roles, but he knew that 99% of women would be bothered if a guy didn't pay on the first date. He was just trying to do what he thought she wanted him to do.
Wait.
What.
What was happening? Dani reddened and began to ramble, each word making Parker more confused. He thought it was painfully obvious what paying for the check meant. It meant that, yes, they were on a date, and yes, he was okay with that. It never occurred to him that what he responded might have been viewed as curt. When the temper appeared, Parker was almost comforted. A temperamental Dani he could understand -- but an insecure Dani? That threw him for a loop.
Dani talked and talked and talked, each phrase echoing more hurt and frustration. Was she going to stand from the table and bolt from the restaurant? He wouldn't let that happen. Parker sat forward suddenly and placed his hand on top of Dani's. "Dani," he said, leaning forward and keeping his voice low. He had no desire to embarrass her. "I don't think I was clear enough." Then Jenny came back, and Parker stiffened. He wasn't big on being publicly affectionate. Thankfully, she just dropped off the check and disappeared.
Parker swallowed, meeting eyes with Dani. "This is a date to me, too. It's a date, and I like that it is... a date." Despite the years of age he might have on Dani, Parker was not very good about communicating his emotions. To come out and say "I like you too!" would make him feel immature and stupid. So he danced around it. "I... didn't mean to upset you. I wouldn't want to upset you." Beat. "What did I say that upset you?" He thought back to everything, but none of it seemed to suggest that he didn't like her too. In fact, he saw all of his actions as perfectly crystal clear.
Granted, he was biased.
And now he was kind of holding Dani's hand awkwardly across a table, hoping that he hadn't just blown what could have potentially been his second serious relationship.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
