Pink

Story by StormDancer

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Pink. That was all he could see, a flood of pink, with a few other pastels thrown in. Mike winced as he walked tentatively over to the table if giggling girls. His pink quota had already been filled but still he approached the table. Oh, what he went through for a few more bucks.

“Are you ready yet?” he asked politely, ignoring the appraising stares directed at him.

“well, um, like, totally, well, like, um,” a blonde dithered. Mike hid his rolling eyes. Preps. God. He glanced around for a single person at that table who could speak to him rationally, and hopefully give him a straight answer. Amidst the sea of pink, he spotted black, and made for it like a starving man for food.

“Can you please translate?” he asked the one girl there with no pink on, only dark cargo pants and a black band t-shirt. She should have looked distinctly uncomfortable in this undeniably preppy setting, but she looked perfectly at ease.

“They know, but don’t want to say because the longer they prevaricate, the longer they can look at you,” she answered with a wry smile.

‘What!” he exclaimed. That was a new one.

“First of all, fishing for compliments isn’t becoming. Disregarding that, they like to boy watch, and you are undeniably the hottest guy in this restaurant. Not,” she said, scanning the room briefly, “That there’s much competition.”

“Preps,” he groaned.

“Oh, they aren’t that bad,” the girl said as she surveyed the other girls with a fond, maternal gaze, “hopefully they’ll outgrow it.” She turned that gaze on him and it hardened, taking in his uniform polo shirt and khakis. “What are you doing here if you aren’t a prep?”

“Money,” he replied tersely. She nodded, but didn’t respond. Feeling a perverse need to put her on the defensive, he asked, “What is a girl like you doing with them anyway?”

She pointed to the blonde who had 1st talked to him.

“She’s my twin, and she dragged me here because she thinks, and I quote, ‘you don’t like, go out enough.’ But if this is what she mean, I’m happy to miss out.”

“Well, this doesn’t seem like the kind of place you’d like,” he replied.

“Because you know me so well,” she mocked, tossing inky black hair.

“I can tell you aren’t a prep,” Mike retorted,” Now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to do my job.”

He began to take orders, victorious in getting the last word. In that, he was deceived. After he took the girl’s orders the dark girl grinned.

“Glad to stop being the animal in the zoo?” she teased as she gave him the menus. Mike scowled and retorted.

“At least they appreciate me.”

“They appreciate any man over 10 and under 60,” she replied calmly, “Now, Mike, I believe you have your job to do.”

“How did you know my name?” he asked incredulously.

“Name tag,” she replied, grabbing a book and opening it, ending the conversation.

o0O0o0O0o

No one noticed the note he scrawled on the back of the receipt he knew she’d deal with.

Ditch the preps and meet me outside her in 10 minutes.

She looked up in surprise, and saw him giving her a conspiratorial grin. She nodded, and returned his grin as she walked out of the restaurant.

o0O0o0O0o

“You know,” she said, walking up to him10 minutes later, “You really are an idiot.”

Oddly enough, he didn’t take offense at this criticism.

“Oh,” he asked, raising an eyebrow,” And why would that be?”

“For all you know, I could be some psycho stalker who’ll rape you. And that eyebrow thing is really cool.”

“Thanks. And you really aren’t one to talk, you know, meeting a guy you’ve only talked to once, for maybe, what, 5 minutes.”

“I can take care of myself,” she assured him,” I have a black belt.”

“Really?” he inquired.

‘Yeah,” she pulled up her long shirt to show him a black belt, “see?”

He laughed.

“No, do you actually?”

“Yeah, I do, so don’t get any ideas.’

“Well, I could take you, I’ve got one too.”

She made a face at him.

“Well, I’m one up on you anyway”

“Why?”

“I know your name.”

He shrugged. “Names are over rated.”

She shook her head disparagingly.

“Haven’t you ever read any eldritch tales? Any stories of the hill people, the fey? Names are power, and the giving of one is the ultimate trust.”

“True names are power,” Mike corrected, “And who says the names our parents gave us are our true names?”

“Fair enough,” she agreed as he led the way down the street, “But who else is capable of giving one to us? We aren’t.”

“Maybe not, but who knows us better than ourselves?”

Mike had meant it to be a rhetorical question, but when he saw she was going to respond, he quickly cut her off.

“So, what is your given name? Wait, let me guess. Jamie?”

She made a face and shook her head. He guessed again.

“Abby? Tina?”

She grinned.

“You’re never going to guess.”

“Fine,” he pouted, “I give. Tell me.”

“Thea.”

“Thea,” he repeated, trying the name on his tongue, “Greek?”

“What gave it away?” she asked mockingly.

“I dunno, maybe the name? Or possibly the looks,” he answered sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

“SO, where are we going?” Thea asked.

“Somewhere I think you’ll like better than Preppy McPrep's,” he said with a grin.

“Obviously, It’s not exactly your scene either, “She replied, surveying his dark jeans and dark shirt, “this outfit suits you better anyway.”

“Yeah, if I stayed in that damn uniform in public, I could never show my face here again,” he said, ushering her into a small, darkened café. They sat down at a table; both relaxed in their own element.

“So, Mike,” Thea began conversationally.

‘I’ll never confess!” Mike cut in, “You can’t trick me! I won’t tell you I buried the body in the dark of the moon under the blue oak!”

Thea cracked up, doubling over in laughter.

“You were saying?” Mike prompted, as if he hadn’t interrupted.

“I was going to ask you about yourself, I think, but I’ve completely forgot.”

“I’ll trade you question for question,” he suggested.

“Fine, you first,” Thea agreed.

“Put me on the spot, why don’t you?” Mike growled, trying to buy himself time, “How old are you?”

“17. Senior in High school. You?”

“That’s cheap, reusing my question.”

“Fine, answer this and I’ll ask another.”

“I’m a freshman in college.”

“What are you majoring in?”

“Marine biology. What do you want to do in life?”

“Drink some tea,” the said, taking her own advice. Mike rolled his eyes, and she grinned. “Write.”

“They have open mike nights every Wednesday. You should come,” Mike suggested.

“Thanks, I will.”

The grinned at each other for a moment, then glanced at their drinks.

O0O0o0O0o

“So, I’ll see you Wednesday?” Thea asked as they stepped out of the café.

“You will? I mean, sure,” Mike answered, shocked.

“Good, 7:00?” Thea said, walking away.

“Wait!” Mike yelled after her, “Is that-was this- a date?”

Thea turned back and shrugged.

“I don’t know, whatever you want, I suppose.”

“Okay, It’s a date,” Mike announced. Thea grinned, ran back, and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running out to her car. Mike watched her go bemused.