"Maybe you should ask him out. You know, switch the gender roles around." Nami suggested, walking besides Summer as they both headed towards the union building. The orange-haired beauty carried her accounting textbooks in one arm and her purse on the opposite shoulder, mimicking the posture of the blonde, who had two of her photography books in her left and her bag on her right.
"You know me. I'm not brave enough for that." Summer admitted, blushing a little at the mere thought of asking Law out herself. In her mind she could see how much of an epic fail that could potentially be, Law scoffing at her, or saying that he just wanted to stay friends. Or, if things really were awful, he'd simply tell her no and to never come back to the bar because the whole thing was just too embarrassing. Nothing had even happened and she could already feel her cheeks heating up…
"Hey, you there?" Nami snapped her fingers in front of the blonde's face a couple times, snapping her out of her dazed stance.
"Huh, what?" She questioned, blinking several times to focus her eyes. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Nami lead them both up the stairs, passing dozens of other students as they walked the campus.
"I said you need to start taking things into your own hands, like your love life and important things like that."
"Right. Yeah." Summer nodded, feelings of dread and anxiety already beginning to rise once more. There were so many things that were about to come into play, what with her graduating soon, she wasn't sure how she was going to handle it all.
"The least you could do is sound like you believe me." Nami prodded.
"Sorry, Nami. I'm just too distracted today. Maybe some food will help me relax a little." Summer replied, giving an apologetic smile.
They both reached the set of doors to the building and walked inside. The interior of the building was brightly lit and a lot cooler than the warm spring temperatures outside. Lining the edges of the grand entranceway were numerous tables and plush seats, each one occupied by a student with a mountain of textbooks or laptops. Two sets of stairs, one on each side of the room, led to the second floor where a lounge with more chairs and sofas were.
Venturing further inside, they found the courtyard packed with people. The lines were long as usual. The lunch rush had just begun, which also meant the casual drone of voices trying to be heard over one another was present. As far as food went, there were several stations to choose from, anywhere from chinese to pizza, mexican to italian. At the end of the room was a small convenience store style station. The two females headed there.
"Let me guess: oranges and a diet coke as usual." Summer guessed, grinned as Nami reached for said drink out of the refrigerator. Looking back, the orange-haired woman grinned as she closed the see-through door.
"You know me so well." The two chuckled. Grabbing her container of pre-sliced oranges, Nami poked Summer in the arm. "Now my turn. You'll get a candy bar and a gatorade."
"Hmm…gotta be specific. Which candy bar?" The blonde asked, pausing in front of the candy aisle to wait for her friend's answer. Humming softly with a hand under her chin, Nami grinned and pointed to one in particular.
"Three Musketeers."
"On the mark." Summer laughed, grabbing the silver-wrapped confection from the shelf and a blue drink from the fridge. Carrying their items on top of their textbooks, they headed towards the counter where the cashier stood waiting.
He grabbed Nami's items and rang them up, punching in numbers on the register. "That's $3.41."
Digging in her pocket for her student I.D., Nami handed it over and the cashier, who's name badge read Mark, ran it through the machine. It beeped and he gave back her card.
"Would you like a receipt?"
"No thanks." Nami took her stuff off the counter and moved away for Summer's turn.
After paying for their things, they left the store and began walking to room for a place to sit. Luckily, a group of students stood and gathered all their stuff, vacating a round table and two sets of sofas for the two females. Hurrying over, they claimed the spot before anyone else had the same idea.
"God, it's like a zoo in here. Everyday." Nami complained, dropping her stuff to the cushion beside her. Summer placed her bag closer to the wall, with her sitting on the outside, always self-conscious about where she placed herself in relation to her bag. The last thing she wanted was for her stuff to be stolen.
"It's a university. College students are either hungry, tired, or both, at all times of the day."
"Yeah, or completely brain dead around finals." They dug into their small snack, watching as others walked by with panicked expressions or complete focus on their faces, depending on the student.
Finals week was really hitting everyone hard, it seemed. Especially for the graduating class. Summer herself was beginning to feel the affects of exhaustion with each passing day. It was getting more and more difficult to get through the day, all attributed to long hours of studying and memorizing angles and ratios. Not to mention the finishing touches on her thesis for her degree. The last thing she wanted was to turn it in late or without being finalized.
While Nami's major was much more complex in the accounting department, the two were still both about as tired and mentally spent as a human could possibly be.
"Anyways, about your dating problem." Nami jumped back into the conversation in between bites of oranges and sips of diet coke. "I think the best solution to this whole thing is to go on dates with other guys."
Frowning, Summer swallowed a bite of candy bar. "Well, yeah, I-"
Nami held up a hand to stop her. "Not in the way you're thinking. It's not to actually date other guys per se, but to force Law's hand. If he sees you going out with other guys he'll realize that he's gotta make his move soon or he'll never have the chance." Before she'd even finished the sentence Summer was shaking her head.
"I don't want to make him feel obligated to date me, Nami. I don't even know if he has an interest in me." The orange-haired woman held up a hand in bewilderment.
"You've got to be kidding me. You talk about him all the time, about how you guys talk and-"
"Yeah, we talk. That's it." Summer explained, slouching back in her seat dejectedly. "It's not like he's flirting with me or anything. Really he doesn't say much at all. Besides, he works at a bar, he talks to everyone. That doesn't mean he's interested."
"Hmm. We'll see." Nami responded, a deeply skeptical look on her face. Summer knew the woman could be stubborn as hell, especially when it came to her opinions on men. As she always said, first impressions lasted forever, and apparently the first impression she'd received of Law based on Summer's descriptions had been enough to convince her they were meant to be, or something along those lines.
"Hey, Nami!" A male voice called. Both women looked over to see Bellamy walking over, a wide grin on his face.
"Oh, hey Bellamy." Nami said halfheartedly, glancing at Summer for support. The blonde sent her a sympathetic smile, knowing how much she felt uncomfortable with the whole situation. "What's up with you?"
"You said we'd go over notes and test questions at lunch. Did you forget?" The blonde haired man asked, holding up his own accounting papers. Nami's eyes widened, finally remembering that she'd brazenly agreed to help him with the work while trying to flee a previously uncomfortable conversation from before.
"Ah, right. I did forget, yeah. Sorry." She gave a passable grin, not too slanted that it looked mocking or fake.
"Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt you two?" He asked, spotting Summer for the first time.
"Actually-" Nami started, but Summer cut in.
"No, not at all! In fact, I was just about to leave for class." She rose and grabbed her stuff from the seat, scooting out and gesturing back at it. "You can take my seat if you'd like."
"Thanks." Bellamy replied with a grin, taking her place sitting opposite of Nami. She gave the blonde woman a blank stare, which Summer knew to mean 'I will get you back for this.' Still, the orange haired beauty had promised to help him study to begin with, so there wasn't much she could do to back out now. That one was on her.
"You two have fun!" Summer waved goodbye with a knowing smile, leaving the two accounting majors to their studying, and one her inner brooding. In all honesty, she didn't like Bellamy all that much, he was much too…outlandish…though his intentions weren't exactly corrupted.
Depositing the remains of her snack in a nearby garbage, she turned to head towards the stairs. Holding the railing all the way up, her eyes were on the steps below and not what was in front of her, and she bumped straight into someone's chest.
"Oh!" Summer gasped, immediately stepping backwards and looking up at the person she ran into. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"It's no problem." The man standing in front of her said. He didn't look upset at all, but rather slightly amused.
He was tall and thin, with a narrow face and long, straightened blond hair that went past his shoulders. He had tattoos above his eyes, straight lines running vertically. He was a strange-looking man, but not unkind or shady. Summer gave him an apologetic grin before looking away nervously.
"I've…got to get going." She stammered, but he held up his hand.
"Please, not so fast." His voice was low and calm, almost soothing. An audible representation of a river flowing over stones. Peaceful. Something about it made her pause and wait for what he would say next. "Do you believe in fate?"
Summer's eyes widened imperceptibly, hoping that this wasn't going to be some speech about 'love at first sight' and all that because no, she didn't. And the last thing she wanted to have to do was do that awkward shuffling of trying to get away from a failed pick up line attempt. But before she could answer he continued.
"This morning I had my future read by a fortune teller, and she said that the one I bump into at the top of the stairs will play a significant part in my life path." He explained with a completely serious expression. That was not the answer she'd been expected, but at least it was original…
"Oh…I…" She tried speaking but really had no idea what she was supposed to do. She opted to laugh a little in nervousness. "That's…very interesting." At least it didn't sound insulting or like she thought he was strange. Which she did. He was probably trying his best to leave a good impression, so she was trying her hardest not to judge to quickly.
"My name is Basil Hawkins, by the way." He bowed his head slightly in respect, and Summer did the same our of instinct.
"Summer." She replied, and he smiled.
"A very fitting name." Clearing his throat, he reached forwards and grabbed her hand that was still holding onto the railing. "If you would be so kind as to allow me to take you to dinner tonight?" He pulled her hand closer and kissed it softly. She could feel the blush burning at her cheeks and hoped that her expression wasn't too much of a resemblance to a fish out of water.
"Oh…um…" She paused a moment, but her thoughts from the bar before suddenly came to mind. Things would be changing soon, with graduation and the next phase of life. True, she'd said that she preferred to know someone before dating them, but that wasn't going to leave very many options open at all. She needed to start somewhere, and with someone, in this whole dating thing. Otherwise she'd be alone forever at this rate. So, putting on her best smile, she nodded. "Y-yes, that'd be great."
"Excellent." He said, releasing her hand respectfully. They exchanged contact information and then finalized the details of the date itself. "I shall meet you at the restaurant at 6:00 then?"
"Yes, I'll be there." She confirmed, unwittingly feeling a buzz of nervousness and a tiny hint of excitement at the prospect of going to dinner with someone new. With another smile, he nodded and said goodbye, heading down the stairs and leaving her still stuck to the top step.
Realizing that she couldn't stand there forever, she took one more step up and went to find a place to sit. Finding a seat quickly, she was still in a daze as she pulled open her textbook. The whole sudden encounter was still reeling around in her mind.
Staring at her reflection in the full length mirror that leaned against her apartment wall, she spun halfway around for perhaps the hundredth time to see how the light green sundress made her look. It had thin straps that she was altogether not used to, which made her feel exposed, even though the top didn't show anything important. It was a modest cut neckline so she wasn't in danger of flashing the whole restaurant with her breasts. She was wondering if there were any better options within her wardrobe, though she'd been looking for the last half an hour.
Still, the heeled shoes and bare legs felt alien to her. The outfit was much more…open, than a blouse and nice jeans. Frowning with insecurity, she twisted around yet again, splaying out the skirt once more.
A loud buzzing sound broke the silence as her phone alarmed the time to be 5:45. Grabbing it and turning it off, Summer took a deep breath and resolved herself to what she was currently wearing. Slipping on a white shawl to cover her shoulders a bit more, simply for the sake of feeling too vulnerable, Summer grabbed her purse and phone from the bed, double checking she had all her things.
Max lay curled on the comforter asleep. With a little smile, Summer leaned in and pet the kitten's head, gently waking him up from his slumber. He meowed, cracking open his tiny eyes in surprise.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Go back to sleep, little one." She cooed, marveling at how adorable he was as she felt his small body vibrate with his purrs of satisfaction. Tearing herself from her little friend, she turned off the bedroom light and walked out of the apartment, steeling herself for the unpredictable experience that was about to happen.
"This is a very nice place." Summer commented, sitting down across from Basil Hawkins, who stood as she approached the table. Seating himself once again, he took a moment to glance around at the interior. The Italian-style cafe was brightly and homey feeling. The walls were adorned with various herbs and flowers typically found in Italy, and soft piano music played overhead.
"Yes, my mother would take me here as a child. It was her favorite place." He explained, eyes going unfocused as he remembered something from his past.
"Oh, you've lived in the city your whole life?" Summer asked, curious as to his origins. He didn't look like he was from around here.
"No, my family came here from the country, very similar to this place. Open and friendly."
"That's very interesting." Summer said with a smile. Then, a waiter approached with two leather-bound menus.
"Hello, my name is Alex and I'll be your server this evening. Could I start you off with any refreshments?" A black-haired man inquired, holding up a notepad and pen to take their orders.
"A glass of iced tea, unsweetened." Hawkins answered, staring at the menu in his hands in concentration. The waiter nodded and turned to Summer.
"And for the lady?" His phrasing made her smile. It always made her feel good when someone called her lady. That sort of pleasantry from older times was something she wished was still a cultural norm.
"Just a water please."
"Right away." He turned and walked back into the kitchen, which was behind a swinging door. Summer's attention was returned to the table and she looked at the menu. There were so many choices of entree that she wasn't even sure where to begin.
"You've been here many times right? What do you recommend?" She asked with a smile. He looked up at her again.
"That depends on your preference. Most studies show that certain types of Zodiac sign prefer different food types altogether. When is your birthday?" He asked suddenly. Her eyes widened, not expecting that question.
"Oh, uh…December 19th." Nodding, he returned his attention to the menu in his hands.
"That would make you a Sagittarius, so your preferred foods would range from poultry and fruits, to some vegetables. I would recommend something along those lines. Organic and natural are most suited for your personality type and state of mind. Nothing too heavy or greasy. Oats, nuts, berries, that sort of thing. The chicken marsala is good here, I would try that."
Summer sat stunned a moment, not quite sure how he pulled all of that out of her birth date. Hell, where had the Sagittarius thing come from? That sort of stuff had never interested her, as she didn't believe in it. Obviously, Basil Hawkins was very knowledgable in that area, so she'd give it a chance at least.
"Oh, I see. Thank you." She eventually said, at least thankful that he'd recommended something in the end. A moment later, Alex returned with their drinks, setting them on the table gently without spilling anything. He straightened and pulled out his notepad again.
"Have we decided what we'd like to order?" He asked, and Basil Hawkins nodded, placing his menu down.
"Yes, I'd like a bowl of Italian wedding soup as well as a side of the stuffed mushrooms." Alex wrote all that down and took Hawkins' menu, turning to Summer expectantly. Summer took another glance at the entree listed.
"I'd like the chicken marsala, I've heard that's very good." She smiled sheepishly. Alex nodded.
"It's one of our specialties here." After finishing up writing down their order, he retrieved all the menus and scurried away to help another table. This left the two of them together with nothing but their drinks to distract them.
To say Summer was nervous was an understatement. She felt like she couldn't sit still, or that there was something much more important to be looking at on the ceiling or to the side. It was so difficult to look him in the eyes.
Him on the other hand was the very definition of calm. His resting face was stern but kind, not apparently judging her but the fear was still there. God, she hadn't done this date thing in years. It was like the first time all over again…
"Have you any experience with Tarot cards?" He asked suddenly, staring her down from across the table. She took a quick sip from her drink to try to calm her nerves.
"No, actually." She admitted, too nervous to mention that she didn't believe in that stuff.
"Tarot cards are meant to be used as a tool to help a fortune teller, or seer, read your future." He explained, smoothing out the table cloth absentmindedly. Summer nodded.
"Ah, I see." She thought that would be the end of it, but he continued a moment later.
"There are 78 cards, divided into four suits. Each card holds a different meaning and future, and depending on the card and the order in which they are drawn will determine your future."
"Wow, it sounds very complex." Summer tried deflecting the question, starting to zone out a bit. He was very passionate about this 'fate' thing and the tarot cards themselves. She only wished she could share his enthusiasm for it.
Unfortunately, he didn't seem to notice her waning interest in the topic.
"The cards aren't hard to remember, the best way is to begin with the Major Arcana cards first and branch off from there. The Fool, for example, represents…"
Summer tried paying attention to most of what he was saying as he explained the meaning of all 78 cards, but after the third or fourth card she just couldn't keep up with what he was saying. There were just too many names and futures and hidden meanings that she couldn't recite a single one if she were asked to repeat anything at all. She didn't want to interrupt him, that would be rude. He seemed so enthused about it all anyways.
Internally, she sighed. This was going to be a long night.
Law took the payment for a couple of drinks when she walked in. Her blonde hair was unmistakable, and his chest seized up at the sight. But he frowned upon seeing her face. She looked exhausted. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only 8:00. She'd come in before looking energized as ever at as late as 11:30 before. So he couldn't understand her lack of energy now.
"Long day?" He asked when she took a seat at one of the stools.
Sighing, she rested her chin on her hand. "Long night, specifically." She replied, closing her eyes slowly. If he didn't know any better he'd say she was sleeping.
"Maybe you should head home then? Get some rest?" Law suggested, not wanting her to push herself further than her limits went.
"Drink first. Then I'll go home." She yawned, laying her head on the counter. Shrugging, Law went to get all the stuff for her drink, having an Island Breeze prepared in a matter of minutes.
"One Island Breeze for you." He said, presenting the red drink in front of her. Sitting up, she accepted it gratefully. He watched her take a sip or two before his curiosity got the better of him. "Up late studying tonight?"
She shook her head, swallowing a sip. "No, but I probably should do that when I get home."
"Hmm…" He hummed, now noticing her fancier than usual dress. He'd never seen her in a dress before, let alone something as cute as what she currently wore. The light green paired well with her violet eyes. "Something fancy then?"
"Sort of." She answered with a smile, enjoying his attempts at guessing where she'd been. Sometimes they played this sort of guessing game, though most of the time he was smart and cunning enough to be able to figure out whatever it was that was a mystery to begin with. He leaned back, placing his hands on the edge of the counter with a grin.
"Alright, so something kind of fancy…" He thought for a moment. "Went to a party?"
"Me? A party?" She laughed. "No, nothing so exciting." She took a couple more sips of her drink before sighing out loud. "I was actually on a date."
"A date?" He raised one eyebrow, feeling a sudden pang in his chest. He forced himself to ignore it. There wasn't anything for him to do anyways. "I see."
"Yeah, but there won't be a second one I think." She said cryptically. At the sound of it being not so great, the feeling in his stomach loosened just a little. Perhaps this jealousy was getting the better of him...
"Why's that?" Part of him was genuinely curious, but another part that reared up far quicker than he'd care to admit howled in satisfaction, happy that the chances of her ending up with someone else had been dashed tonight. Still, he didn't want her to stay alone forever. That surely wouldn't make her happy.
"Well, he was a gentleman and all, very sweet and respectful, but he had this obsession with tarot cards, and fate, and all that stuff. He went on for about an hour about the meanings of all 70-something cards in the deck. I couldn't understand a word of it." She chuckled, finishing the last of her drink. "It'll be too much if I never see another one of them again."
"Sounds like a real nut job." Law concluded, grinning beside himself. She shook her head but couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't be mean. He was nice enough."
"But still a nut job." He prodded. She paused, thinking over how the night had ended up, before laughing aloud.
"Ok, yeah, so a little strange. Still, it made me realize how much I have to learn about this dating thing again." She concluded, pushing the now empty glass towards Law. He took it without a word, turning to wash it in the sink behind the counter.
"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone." He said as casually as he could, making sure he conveyed nothing in his tone of voice. He didn't want her to think he didn't care, or that he cared too much. He wasn't sure which impression would be worse on his part, or which one would seem more suspicious…
They fell silent after that, listening to the soft sounds of 'Stairway to Heaven' play in the background. There was quiet conversation from a few of the other bar-goers towards the other side of the room, but you couldn't make out any of the words, just the sound of mumbled voices.
"Perhaps you should head home, get to that studying. Or some rest." Law suggested quietly, seeing how she was almost falling asleep in her chair. He was worried that perhaps it would be unsafe for her to drive in her state, but she rubbed her eyes and pushed away from the counter.
"That's probably a good idea." She agreed, dropping down to the floor. She grabbed her purse and was about to head out but she stopped and turned back hesitantly. "Umm…Law?" She asked.
He raised his brows, waiting on her question.
She glanced away quickly, her cheeks beginning to show signs of a blush. "H-how do I look? I wasn't sure if I overdressed or not and I need a second opinion. You know...for my next date." Her voice trailed off towards the end, but he still heard her.
His eyes widened slightly, and he paused for a moment as he thought about what his answer should be. There was a number of things he could say. One option would be to tell her his real opinion, which was that she looked beautiful. Another would be to tell her that she needs to dress better next time, which would just be cruel but would convey that he didn't have any ulterior feelings, which was the intention. Still, he couldn't do that to her…
God, why did women feel the need to ask men these loaded questions? They were so complicated to answer, since women looked into every little part of what you said.
"You look nice." He concluded, figuring it was general enough to be considered acceptable without seeming like he was confessing any feelings he may or may not have for her. It seemed to work because she gave a tiny smile as she nodded.
"Ok. Thanks." Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, she turned and walked out the door into the night. Two sets of eyes followed her out; one loathed he couldn't say what was really on his mind, the other sizing up how her backside looked particularly nice thanks to the dress, and that he probably had a shot at her. He just needed to swoop in at the right time...
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