Frank
and Marka start dating. Happy in one another's company, they decide
to have dinner together. Penwarren is still being a pain in the butt,
so Frank decides he'd better stay longer than he'd planned. He and
Marka go by his house to get more of his clothing and he's in his
apartment to change after work.
Frank
loosened his tie and hung up his suit. He realized that he'd left his
other clothing in the car. He finished changing and called Marka
again before going out to get his things. The temperature outside had
dropped considerably. He shivered in his shirt sleeves and trotted
back in the building as quickly as he could. He dropped his clothing
in his room and jogged down to hers. Arriving breathless, he tapped
at the door. Marka opened with a grin.
"Finally!
Dinner's almost ready. Will you open the bottle? It's one of those
tricky wire thingies."
"No
problem. Anything else I can do for you?"
"I'm
sure I'll think of something."
Her
smile held promises that he couldn't even think about collecting on
tonight. He was getting strong vibes from her. She was decidedly
interested—quite possibly as much as he was. But she wasn't going
to give it up to a man she just met. Not that he'd do that anyway.
That wasn't his style. He'd never been a one night stand kind of guy.
He'd done it from time to time, but it wasn't his usual mode of
behavior.
"Frank?
You in lala land?" Marka handed him the bottle.
"Guess
so. Been a long day. I swear, I'm ready for that man to leave."
He explained the current crisis.
"Are
there words to describe a man like him?"
"Haven't
found any that properly do it. Calling him a dick and a douchebag,
while satisfying, don't really do him justice. Insufferable,
insignificant, egotistical prick comes closer."
"My
dad would describe him as the head of a pimple on the ass of the
universe."
"Bingo!
Your dad and I would get along, I bet."
"Like
a house on fire. Remind me never to introduce you." She winked
at him.
"There's
a way to slay my hopes."
"By
not introducing you to my dad?"
"Can't
get a man's opinion if you don't meet him."
"Perhaps
once I have you hopelessly hooked."
"You're
kidding, right? You had me hooked when you asked for toilet paper."
Marka
stopped in her tracks, staring at him, her mouth slightly open.
"You're serious."
"In
fact, I think I was hooked when I saw you on TV."
Marka
still hadn't moved.
Frank
laughed nervously. "What?"
"That's
so incredibly sweet. No man ever fell for me because he saw me on
TV."
"First
time for everything," Frank said, clearing his throat.
It
had finally struck him how his remarks could be interpreted. Not that
he cared, he just didn't want her to think he was some sort of sick,
pathetic, stalker type who hadn't gotten laid in almost a year.
If
the shoe fits, boyo.... Well, not the stalker part.
He
poured them each a glass of the sparkling grape juice. They toasted
one another as well as the meal.
"And
to Mabel Penwarren. May she recover fast so her damn son goes home!"
Frank said.
"Here
here!"
Their
glasses tinked against
one another once more.
©
2015 Dellani Oakes
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