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 Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:52 pm
It had been a few months since Phineas' last foray into the matchmaking service dating pool. His first experience wasn't a bad one, but it just wasn't of the romantic sort. A fact that he was plenty fine with. Of course, if knocked out of the saddle, all one can do is pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and hop back on. That was the reason that the red head perused through the dating services files and found a woman that piqued his interest. Her file made him chuckle to himself and made him want to meet her in person.
After arranging it with the service and setting a time to meet up with the woman in the file, Phineas headed home to think about what was to come.
That was several days ago. Today was the day of their date at the cafe. Phineas had woken up early to tend to Alima's needs and let her out on the covered back porch to let her spy the birds flocking to the bird feeder. Not because he meant to, but because his pre-date nerves had caused him to toss and turn for most of the night. Their meeting time was scheduled for just before lunch, around eleven thirty in the morning. After a light breakfast of toast and jam, Phin grabbed a quick shower and got dressed for his day, electing to wear a light khaki blazer over a cotton dark blue long sleeved shirt with nice jeans. Sure, it was springtime, but occasionally the wind had a chilly edge to it since it was still early in the season.
He kept himself busy until around ten, which was about the time he found himself unable to sit still for any length of time. Alima sat on her bookshelf bed and watched him fussing with this, that, and the other, dusting, and straightening books until around a quarter till eleven. At that point, the four armed fellow scooped up his feline room mate, gave her a kiss on the head, and asked her to wish him luck, bobbing out to his car, locking the front door behind him. Phineas would be a little early, but he'd rather be early than late.
Phin hopped into his car, fastened himself in, found his station, and then headed out to the Eros Cafe. It wasn't a long drive before he pulled into the parking lot. He strolled in and settled on a couch near the front so he could keep an eye on the door. Two arms stretched out across the top of the couch while the slightly lower pair were loose at his sides, his fingers laced on his lap. The man's pose was generally relaxed, but the occasion fidget or bouncing of his leg gave his nerves away. He thought it would seem rude if he ordered a drink before she got there, so he waited for her to walk in as calmly and patiently as he could manage. Phineas wouldn't admit it, but he was curious, anxious, and excited to see how things would go this time around.
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:52 pm
As far as Hartley was concerned, this was probably another load of B.S. Her last date had been nice, she guessed. Yah, it was nice. But it didn't go anywhere, did it? Hell, had she even gotten the guy's phone number? She couldn't recall doing so, which made the whole business moot, in her point of view; yet somehow, she had kept her name in the archives, secretly hoping that maybe she wasn't a dating pariah.
Today she wasn't going to be taking her roommates' advice on what to wear. She hadn't had a second date, after all, so clearly their advice was null and void. Besides, they didn't understand the pain and suffering that having a full set of antlers could have. God damn it, why couldn't they have shed before the date? No, they just had to sit there, looking impressive... If you were a stuffed head on the wall. If Hartley didn't have antlers, she could have passed for almost human, and that would be almost good enough, in the human dating world. But almost good enough was never good enough for Hartley, inherently a perfectionist, so she would have to go as is.
Away from the noise of Morgan and Adrianne, Hartley chose an outfit in relative peace, choosing a simple black blouse over nice jeans. She debated on shoes for a good ten minutes, trying to decide what said 'I'm eager for this date but not too eager because I can totally get a date in real life and oh by the way this may be a joke and I am also totally prepared for that'. In the end, she chose flip flops. Hey, you can never beat the classics.
Checking the time on her computer, Hartley saw that she had ten minutes left to drag her butt over to the cafe. Should she be late, or was that no longer fashionable? Or was being late ever fashionable? Was it just an excuse? She should google the origins... No, no time. She had to get going now, if she wanted to walk. Biking would make her sweat and there really was no point in wasting the gas to drive such a short distance. Thank god for centrally located living, right near the heart of scenic downtown.
The walk, while short, gave Hartley time to calm her nerves. Hell, she didn't even know what this guy looked like. His personality seemed pretty chill though. Well... If he wasn't some crazy perverted stalker. Was this really better than Craigslist? God, she still couldn't believe she was in this crazy dating service.
Taking a deep breath, Hartley opened the door, ducking slightly so that her antlers didn't get lodged in the door frame and create a rather unfortunate scene. That would be one way to start a date. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she spotted a guy that looked as though he was watching the door. He seemed calm though, arms fol... across the cou... wait what? How many arms? Hartley wasn't really one to judge, but the realization of what an odd couple they would make today put a crooked smile on her face. She strode up to the multiple armed man, extending forward one of her own pale, long-fingered hands to shake.
"Hey, I'm Hartley. You better be Phineas, or I'm going to look pretty damn stupid."
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:37 pm
The wait gave Phineas enough time to calm himself virtually completely, save for the occasional roll of his shoulders. He was taking deep breaths, and beginning to savor the aromas of the cafe when she walked in. He noted how she took care for her antlers not to knock into the door frame. Phin stood up and flashed a warm, if slightly crooked, smile as she approached, folding his slightly lower pair of arms behind his back, and clasped her slender, elegant hand in his sun tanned, work toughened hands. He gave it a genial shake and very light squeeze. He felt a kiss to the hand would be too forward and quite old school.
"Ah, yes. I am indeed Phineas, or Phin, if you'd prefer. Either is fine. It's very nice to meet you, Hartley. You look great. Would you like to go with me to order our drinks and some form of snack? I didn't want to order before you got here and risk getting something that wouldn't agree with you." In his opinion, she had the build of a dancer, not of the exotic variety of dancing, but more the ballroom or ballet sort. The red head briefly pondered asking, but elected to wait until they had ordered.
He released her hand and swept a hand toward the barista behind the counter in the back. "Of course, since it is so close to lunch we could also grab a bite to eat here in addition to our beverages. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little hungry." The time he spent sitting there had charged up his hunger what with the smells of the baked goods, fresh coffees and teas, and the sight of what a few of the other customers had ordered, his light breakfast apparently having worn off. Phineas took a few steps towards the back then half turned back to her. "Shall we?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:03 am
Hartley could appreciate a firm hand shake, and though her date didn't give the most powerful, she was fully aware of her delicate appearance. There were downsides to any species, she supposed, as she returned the shake with her own stronger squeeze. Hartley honestly wouldn't have minded a kiss to the hand; it would have reminded her of home, and of the customs there. Ah well. She was no mind reader, and neither was Phineas (in all likelihood).
And he had waited for her. Well, that was polite. Hartley graced Phineas with a smile, inwardly panicking about what to order. What would make her not look like a fat-a**, but still be substantial enough food? Well, she knew she could scarf it down, but that hardly seemed appropriate on a first date. Even if it was a dating service.
"Thanks for waiting for me Phineas. You look quite nice yourself. I'd love to go order something to drink and a snack." Snacks were safe territory. Snacks were okay. She could do snacks. Right? Snacks were good.
Damn, lunch. But Hartley was hungry, and a small rumble in her stomach was only testament to that. Hopefully Phineas hadn't heard. "I'd love to grab some lunch. I'm pretty hungry as well. Just remind me not to order anything with garlic." Hartley wrinkled her tiny nose, before realizing the impertinence of her statement. Still, it made her grin. This was pure Hartley, and Phineas would have to realize it for this to be a successful date.
"And you have to let me pay." Not that Phineas had offered, but in case he did... Hartley stepped neatly in front of him, standing at the counter, glancing briefly at the counter.
"Can I have an iced mocha and a caesar salad?" she asked the cashier. The perfect balance had been struck!
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:54 pm
"Oh, it wasn't a problem at all. I didn't want to appear to be rude or anything like that. Thanks, Hartley. I appreciate it. I'm just surprised I made it out with little to no cat hair on me. Or at least noticably so." He grinned and brushed a hand over his shirt as if to double check himself for feline related fuzzies.
Phineas did pick up her faint stomach growl, and only gave a little smile. If he didn't get some form of refreshment soon, his own stomach would be making its state of emptiness known as well. He gave a bit of a chuckle. "Duly noted. I'll keep it in mind for myself too." His two tone eyes scanned the drink menu and over what was available food-wise. He paused his perusing at her following statement, a red brow quirked slightly.
"Let you pay? Ah, I wouldn't feel right. How about we split the bill fifty-fifty?It'd be fair and you'd still be paying for something," he offered as a suggestion. "Or we could alternate paying for dates, providing we hit it off and wish to carry on with one another, of course." He waved a pair of hands as if to clear the air with a small shake of his head. "But that's neither here nor there, yet." Phineas had originally intended to pay for everything, but he was willing to compromise. "How's that sound?" If she still insisted on paying, he'd most likely press his case a little further before letting her have her way.
The multiple armed man turned to the cashier after one final glance to the menu boards. "I would like a chai tea and a monte cristo sandwich please." He was quite hungry and wasn't fretting over looking like a fat a** himself. Phin recalled that the larger sandwiches here were divided into quarters, which he would offer to share with his date should her salad not cut it for her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:43 pm
Hartley glanced down at her own shirt then, as if to verify that she wasn't in fact covered with some sort of animal hair herself. It was more likely to be horse hair than anything else in her case, and she hadn't gone riding today, but you never knew. Who could resist bending down to pet a friendly dog or cat? It wreaked havoc on clothes though.
"Lint rollers are always a good investment," Hartley returned with a grin. Phineas must have liked at least cats, if he was afraid of having cat hair on his clothing. If he liked cats, then he must like other animals. Good. So far, so good. No strikes in her book, but the day was young yet. Oh god, when had she turned into such a pessimist? Oh right, she had always been one.
And oh s**t, she hadn't met that she would pay for the whole meal! Rather than getting flustered and explaining what she meant, Hartley just nodded cooly, trying to keep herself calm. That had been a rather close scrape. "I suppose fifty-fifty will have to do. I am a poor college student, after all." Great, did she sound like she was just in the dating pool to marry a rich guy? Hartley could never keep her mouth shut long enough, it seemed.
"Should we grab a seat at a table then?" asked Hartley, after handing the woman her appropriate half of the cash. A sandwich sounded like a better deal in retrospect, but it was too late to be bothering about that. "I mean, I guess we can eat standing up, but that's not going to dissipate that awkward first date tension." Laughing a little, Hartley willed her own body to laugh, ever the hypocrite.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:27 pm
Phin quirked a grin at her remark. "Definitely can't go wrong with them. That's for sure. I've got one or two laying around my place. I don't worry. My fuzz ball doesn't shed too terribly." Or at least as far as cats go in his experience. Not that he had vast amounts of experience. Sure, his grandfather had a few chickens and two dogs, while his mother and father had a dog and a cat of their own. When he was younger, he had plenty of things besides the various critters in his family to keep him busy. He always enjoyed helping out with the creatures and frequently would go out of his way to bring them a treat from time to time.
"Heh. I can handle fifty-fifty," Phineas said with a bit of a chuckle. He fished out his wallet from his back pocket and took out what he owed the cashier before stuffing his well loved leather wallet back into his jeans. "A college student, eh? What are you studying to become?" He nodded in thanks to cashier who had just handed him his change, a part of which he tucked into the tip jar for the dishwasher. Phin didn't get the 'girl only after a rich guy' vibe from Hartley. He could understand the need to try and save a few dollars when going through school.
"Absolutely," Phin said as he turned away from the counter smiling. "Would you prefer a table next to one of the windows or a corner booth?" There were a few tables free here and there throughout the cafe. He had no preference towards one table or the other and decided that it'd be a nice thing to do to offer the choice up to his date.
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:34 pm
Well, Phineas didn't seem upset at the idea that Hartley was a student. That was good. That was a step up. Some guys didn't like the modern, independent woman. And Hartley just still couldn't quite trust a dating service that she had never signed up for- and one that apparently no one else had either. Things didn't make sense, in the most suspicious ways.
"I think I'm going to do biology. Pre-vet. Some journalism. I want to be a jet-setter." Hartley flashed a crooked grin. Her antlers made it rather hard to fit into a plane- she had flown only once, and it had been hell. The next time she would have to clip off her antlers herself. And she was so proud of them! Even if people always put Christmas lights around them in time for the festive holiday season.
"Let's sit next to the window. I like to people watch." Oh wait, that was another stupid thing to say. "Not that you won't be interesting, uh. It's just, that, maybe... You know, I don't know where I'm going with this." Hartley gave a self deprecating laugh as she sat herself in a patch of sunshine, not waiting for Phineas to pull out a chair. If he would. Who knew if he was that type of guy, but Hartley wasn't entirely sure she went for all that crap.
"What do you do for a living? You seem like you would be pretty handy. Uh... THat wasn't supposed to be a pun. But it was."
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