|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 2:57 pm
It took far too long in Ethren’s opinion to get ready. Eclypse had fussed over everything from what shoes he had to wear to what he was going to do with his hair. The bounty hunter was fine with wearing what he seems to always wear: black pants, a red sweater with a leather vest and his hat, but the damn woman wouldn’t have it. In fact she wasn’t satisfied with anything in his wardrobe. He thanked the heavens that he had gotten up early out of habit so that he wasn’t going to be late for his date.
The two had finally decided on a pair of black slacks that Eclypse found in a store called Barton Boutique, a loose red button up shirt from Durem Deport and a black over coat that formed his frame – where she found that she wouldn’t say. Ethren had a funny feeling he didn’t want to know.
Now for his hair, Eclypse refused to let him wear his silly hat and he refused to go without it. Their dispute was settled when Zaphrik had come into Ethren’s room to see what his parents were doing. He was holding his brown haired doll.
“You can wear a wig,” Eclypse said with a brilliant smile thinking of the exact one he’d wear. Their son had been carrying around the little cinder girl doll that they bought him when they moved to Gaia and she had remembered that there was a wig made in its exact image. They’d have to style it so that it’d look more natural on a male but that wasn’t a problem.
Three hours later Ethren found himself at Café Eros with twenty minutes to spare. He mentally congratulated himself on being punctual.
Ethren choose to sit close to the window, facing the door, so that he’d be ready to greet the young lady when she arrived. He didn’t order a drink knowing that if he had he couldn’t reinsure her by saying ”I haven’t been waiting long.” Instead, he kept busy by watching the people outside the café.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:49 pm
First date nerves were finally settling into Hartley's stomach. She had tried to deny for so long that this was real, that the letter had been a joke played on her by her roommates. If not a joke, then it was a fraud that they had been tricked into, meaning well. They had each other, and they always said how Hartley needed someone. But their adamant denials of setting Hartley up for anything, coupled with the news she had an actual date, set the deer woman straight. Oh god. What do I wear?
Marching up to the door that lead to Morgan and Adrianne's bedroom, Hartley knocked loudly. "You guuyyyys. I have a date. I've got to leave in a half hour. What the hell do I wear?" Thankfully, the two weren't occupied, and taking one look at Hartley, they nearly choked. "Jesus, you've only got a half hour? Go quickly. Quickly!"
"Wear something nice, but not too nice. You don't want to look desperate," Adrienne added.
"Show some cleavage. Not too much though. You don't want to look... Well, you know." Morgan powered by Hartley, rifling through her closet for something she could deem suitable.
"This. And this." Morgan lay the clothing on the bed. "Now hurry up and dress. We won't watch."
More bemused than anything else, Hartley glanced down at the black polo shirt and simple pair of jeans laid out on the bed. Together, they would look rather nice- not like she was trying too hard, but not like she wasn't trying at all either. For Hartley, it worked, and she was silently grateful once again for the dating expertise of her roommates, even if it only ran to women.
Next came yet more dressing drama. How on earth would Hartley get the polo shirt over her antlers? They would shed soon, but they had not shed quite yet, thus making putting on shirts of this type impossible. Instead, she quickly switched to a black blouse, silently praying to whatever god that would listen that Morgan would forgive her this transgression. Make-up was simple and easy- Hartley rarely wore any, and today only put on a touch of blush and black eyeliner. Thus dressed, she examined herself nervously, and ducked out of the house before Morgan and Adrianne could notice. How much longer until her date? Twelve minutes, and counting.
By the time Hartley had arrived at the quaint cafe, there was exactly eight minutes left. Good, she was eight minutes early. She had probably beat her date. He'll probably be late. Hartley comforted herself with that thought, and other thoughts about how terrible the night would go, and what a laugh she would have later with the girls, and a glass of wine.
So caught up was Hartley in her thoughts, that she forgot to duck to enter the door way, instead banging her antlers jarringly, dislodging one in the process. It had been loose, and this had just been the final hit it needed. "Damn it!" Good thing her date wasn't here, right? Looking around, Hartley saw that everyone appeared to be in couples... Except one man. She didn't have to look down at the name and notes written on her hand to know it was her date. Life likes to work like that. "I... I don't suppose you saw that, did you? I'm Hartley. Are you... Ethren?" Squinting down at her palm, Hartley foolishly tried to hide the shed antler behind her back, very aware of how odd she must look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:26 pm
For twelve minutes Ethren found himself staring at the building across the street. It wasn’t anything exceptional just a decent sized brick building, probably a bank. Yet there was no way of telling at the angle Ethren was sitting at because he could only see the side of it. Three people had gone into it while one left. A hand full had passed by and only a few of them stopped to look inside. It wasn’t until he heard a bang nearby that his attention was finally diverted away from the building.
Embarrassment was planted across his face, but not because his date just humiliated herself. It was because he had been oblivious to it. Ethren hadn’t even noticed her approach the building until she had banged into it. That really wasn’t something to be proud of. What was I doing, I should have been watching the door. He scolded himself before getting out of his chair to help her – if she needed it.
By the time she recovered, Ethren had successfully made it over to her, which wasn’t hard since the entrance was only a few feet away. “No, didn’t see a thing,” Ethren said trying to sound coy so she wouldn’t suspect anything. It wasn’t hard to notice the missing antler she was trying to conceal, but he didn’t say anything. It was better to just let the whole accident slide.
With a smile – nothing like how he smiled in the past but still genuine, Ethren greeted her, “Yes, I’m Ethren Sammuls.” He held out his hand, a custom he carried since his youth. “Shall we order something?” He asked after they had finished their salutations moving back over to his sit. He briefly wondered if he should have pulled out her chair. Was it still custom for men to do that?[/i}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:23 pm
Ah, a man who offered his hand to shake. The gesture was quaint, and Hartley appreciated it far more than anything more 'feminine'. Her own grip was firm in return, daring Ethren to question her own womanly features. Hartley's parents had always taught her that a firm handshake was the best way to leave a positive impression, and on this Hartley had to agree.
Laughing at the coy tone of voice, Hartley sat in her own chair, evidently not caring that Ethren hadn't pulled out her chair. There were reasons some customs were archaic. Pulling out the chair always ended up the tragedy of someone falling onto their behind anyway.
Dumping the shed antler by the table and pushing it into a corner, Hartley managed to look suitably innocent. The key verb being 'to look'. Her wide, deep set eyes were taking in Ethren, speculative all the while of what he was truly like underneath the skin (and likely, knowing Hartley, clothes). He was a good looking man. Older than her by at least a year or two, she would guess. He was well dressed, with clothes that suited his frame. His hair was nice looking. A bit feminine though. All together, it wasn't displeasing for the deer woman. One point in his favor then.
"I'm Hartley. I don't... er... Have a last name." A belated introduction was in order, as Hartley scanned the menu. "We can split something, if you want. I'm good with pretty much anything. I don't believe in eating light just to look good." Grinning crookedly, Hartley glanced down at the menu. Naw, she would let the pressure lie squarely on Ethren.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:13 pm
Oh, damn this woman! Was he that easy to read? No, he shouldn’t be so paranoid – there was no way she was coaxing him to make a fool of himself. So he’d never been on a date since his marriage, and even then they were more of formalities. Casual dating was foreign even to think about. He’d have to think of a clever way to disguise his disability. There was no way he’d order something for the both of them, what if he screwed it up?
He glanced at her for a moment before looking over the menu. The café sure had a lot of sandwiches and fancy drinks. Sunset Orange? Aloha Berry? I think I’ll stick to just black coffee… Glancing back at the young doe Ethren took a moment to gather his thoughts, what ever he was going to say had to come off as suave, or at least charming.
“Now, that’s just not fair –“ Ethren placed the menu down on the table, “I hardly know you, how am I supposed to order for the both of us.” He took this time to smile at her. “How about you tell me a little about yourself before I attempt to make a fool of myself.” Ethren closed the menu – his heart bounding from embarrassment. Was that even convincing? She was a smart girl, pretty too, she probably saw right through him.
The last real date Ethren had been on was with his high school sweet heart and fiancé Elisabeth when he was nineteen. Ten years had passed since then.
The gravity of this memory hadn’t hit Ethren until he had realized that Hartley was only twenty. She was one year older then the last time he dated. Man, when did I become so old… this date is going to be more awkward then I imagined.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:20 am
Fair enough. Ethren probably didn't know what she liked, and he was probably nervous too. Hartley knew she could never order for both of them- not when the prospect of failure loomed so large. He could be a vegetarian, for all she knew, or not eat vegetables at all. Maybe he was allergic to food. No, no, it was better if they both ordered for themselves after all.
"All right, I'll bite. I'm Hartley, but you know that. I'm twenty, but everyone says I act older. I like to date older. Men my age are hardly that. They don't want anything but a quick screw in the hay. I attend the University of Gaia." Pursing her lips, Hartley thought what else to say. Was her life really that boring?
"Uh, I live with another couple, Morgan and Adrienne. They run a bed and breakfast out of their house, so I have to help out with that. Uhh... I like animals?" It was more a question than a statement, and once it was in the air, Hartley winced. Now Ethren would probably think she was strange, or too young, or immature. He really was quite a bit older than her, and while Hartley viewed age as largely irrelevant, Ethren might not.
"I think it's your turn now." Grinning, Hartley sipped at a complimentary glass of water, her large eyes regarding Ethren with upmost gravity. "And I'll probably have a turkey sandwich. You don't have a problem with me eating meat, right? Because otherwise I can just order a sandwich." It would probably be a pain in the a**, eventually, to have to accommodate someone who couldn't even watch others eat meat, but for a first date Hartley could live with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
