Participants:
| Scene Title | Did You Just Ask Me Out On A Date? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Two friends meet for dinner, a regular occurance in the past couple of years, and several unexpected things happen! |
| Date | November 7, 2008 |
The Nite Owl is a survivor from ages past - one of those ancient diners with huge plate glass windows, checkerboard linoleum floor, and a neon owl over the entrance that blinks at those entering. Inside, there's an L-shaped main counter, complete with vintage soda fountain and worn steel stools. All of the cooking is done on the ranges ranked against the rear wall. The outer wall is lined with booths upholstered in cracked scarlet vinyl, tables trimmed with polished chrome. Despite its age, it's been lovingly maintained. The air is redolent with the scent of fresh coffee, vanilla, and frying food.
A tinkle of a bell as Norton Trask wanders into the Nite Owl, looking for his "date" for the evening. His eyes pick out the familiar waitress who has never met him before and he smiles a little at her as he makes his way to a table. He is in casual clothes, his favorite t-shirt and some jeans, and the Russian accent Sergei uses is on vacation tonight.
That familiar waitress is out of uniform, same getup as Trask, emptying coffee pots and rinsing them out behind the counter. The kind of tasks you do when your either killing time or who knows what. She's keeping her hands busy thats for sure. Abby's oblivious to who he is and seeing Natasha, the redhead older waitress busy, turns to Trask. "Welcome to the Nite Owl. I'm abby. What can I get for you sir? Coffee?"
Elisabeth hustles in the front door, settling the bell to tinkling yet again, clearly dressed for some kind of work — business casual work: a pair of tan slacks, a long-sleeved forest green top, and a pair of dark brown dressy lace-up boots, all topped by a warm jacket. The only real incongruity is the backpack she's got slung over one shoulder that looks stuffed. She appears a bit harried, glancing around as if looking for someone, and grins when she spots Trask. "Sorry I'm late," she says in a breathless voice, adding a grin and a nod at Abby.
Trask grins and kicks out a chair of Elisabeth, he doesn't actually stand and pull it out, but he at least pushes it out for her. "I've heard great things about this place, glad yu could make it." he turns and looks at Abby, "Coffee would be great"
"Coffee" Abby confirms before her blue gaze turns to Elisabeth. "Coffee for you or something else? Will you both be needing menu's" There's a glance to Natasha to confirm the woman's still occupied. "Specials of the day are meatloaf, with mashed potatoes, Vegetable medley, or there's the Club sandwhich, with fries. Soup is Chili, or Cream of Broccoli" She flashes the both of them a smile. "Names Abby"
Elisabeth plops into the chair Trask kicked out and drops her backpack with every evidence of relief. "Oh, my…. that sounds wonderful! The cream of broccoli soup and club sandwich, please. And a coke." She used to come in here a lot …. but that was a couple of years ago, and it's only been the past week or so that she's popped back in, so she doesn't know the faces much these days. "Thank you, Abby," she offers with a smile at the waitress. Cuz hey…. always get better service when you smile at people!
Trask says, "Meatloaf sounds wonderful…" He smiles big. "You look nice today, Elisa…Come straight from work?""
"Brococli, club, coke, coffee and meatloaf. I'll be right back. Natasha's your waitress, the redhead down the way. I'm just pitching in" Orders cemented in her head, the blonde turns away to go put orders in. Leave the two to their table and conversation for now. She hums softly under her breath as she go, who knows what, and not loud enough to disturb anyone.
Elisabeth gives him the wrinkled-nose look she always gives him when he calls her Elisa. He knows she hates that diminutive… which is exactly why he always uses it, she's quite sure. She doesn't bother to aknowledge it in any other way, though. "Yeah," she replies instead. "You know, I went back to school for music teaching — they've got me teaching damn near everything BUT music. I finally landed a fulltime job at Irving, though. It starts after the New Year." She smirks. "Teaching freakin' American History, but eh… what the hell. They're stretched so thin, I get to do both — I'll have three history classes, one band class, one orchestra class, and one chorus class. In the meantime, I'm teaching a MATH class. Norton…. do you have any freakin' clue how much I hate math?"
Trask says, "Math? Your kidding…." He makes a face, "History is not too bad though. Personally I've always had a tin ear…so I'm not much of a music person." He looks a little dissapointed when Abby mentions she's not his waitress, and shrugs a little."
The coke poured, coffee cup place on the tray, creamers, spoon. The orders written down and slapped up to be filled. Abby's keeping busy as she weaves her way back to the table, tray balanced on one hand. QUietly, so as not to disturb the conversation between the two, the contents of the tray are dispersed to the appropriate persons. "coke, here's your straw, Coffee, fresh. Anything else I can you both?" Her accent just shines right through, tucking the tray under her arm, poised to leave if they didn't need anything else at that moment. There's a subtle shake of her head at Trasks apparent disappointment, but, wouldn't be the first time that would happen here.
With a roll of her eyes at Trask, Liz replies with a smirk, "Yeah, I know. Even your whistle is off-key." She looks up as Abby returns with drinks and offers that smile again, though she studies the young woman thoughtfully. "No, thanks…." The strange girl had been looking for an 'Abigail' … but then again, it's not like it's Liz's business to pass message or get involved. And in true New York fashion, she's not going to. But she can't help a speculative look.
Trask takes a sip of his coffee. "No thank you Abby," He grins at the blonde, then looks back at Liz, "so what else is new?"
"Your all set then. Pleasure meeting you both. Hope to see you again in the owl" Abby turns, a little too fast, wobble wobble, but then she's off to the counter opposite their booth. Natasha sidles up, putting a plate of food in front of abby and then a coffee cup. "Eat girl. You look like your gonna fall over. Tom says there's a message got left, while you were gone." Abby slides the tray over with concern. 'I need to get a phone. So you guys stops taking messages for me"
Elisabeth watches Abby walk and grins a little at Trask's disappointment. She has the class to wait until the other girl is far enough away, though, to note to him, "She's a little young for you, don't you think?" There's a grin crinkling the corners of her eyes, though. "Not even sure that one's legal… might wanna be careful." She shrugs as she settles in to sip from her drink. "Nothing much, I guess. Ran into a guy I used to know here a few days ago," she comments to him. "Been ages and ages — worked with him on a Russian mob case a few years ago. He's a Feeb now."
Trask says, "Felix? He dropped by the other day when I get shot. Wanted to say hi after the whole Terrorist attack. Apparently he is interested in those cases." He ignores her comment about Abby, but doesn't even blush."
Natasha's off to pick up orders for other tables, and abby's frowning at a piece of paper, a look of utter confusion on her face. When she's not attempting to be perky and cheerful for customers, one can see the lines at the corner of her eyes and the tiredness her and there. Whatevers on that scrap of paper she's holding, it's bothering her even as she's shoving it into her pockets and gulping down the coffee.
Elisabeth doesn't look entirely surprised…. as Felix mentioned, it's sort of an incestuous little family, the NYPD. "Yeah, Felix Ivanov." She smiles at him. "Didn't realize you knew him." She studies Trask for a long moment. "He is, hrm? That could get a little complicated." She runs a hand through her hair and admits, "He was ….. sort of in jest, I *think*…. trying to recruit me to the Feds." She glances toward the counter every so often because Abby doesn't look so hot and well… yeah, it's not Liz's business, but she's a sucker for a kid in trouble. Her words remain on the conversation at hand, though. "It's funny. My old LT called a couple weeks ago too. Trying to get me to come back." The twist to her lips is wry. "I actually thought about it."
Trask 's eyes also move to Abby, he has never seen her look this way, even after the worse stuff back at the library, but then she is prolly always putting on a show for them back there. "Are you actually considering coming back to the force? "
"Tash, gotta go. Tell Tom i'll be here for my shift tomorrow, and that I can work some extra hours yes? Moving soon I think, gonna need to scrape up for first and last. Friend in trouble. locked himself out and needs his spare key" She's slapping down money for her own untouched meal with a sigh, finishes the coffee and gathering her purse and jacket, working her scarf around her neck. The red head only waves Abby away and the girl spares a glance to Trask and Elisabeth. "Natasha look after you, she should be bringing you your food right away. Y'all have a good day you hear?"
Elisabeth looks up as Abby calls out, her brow furrowing. The girl just looks… ragged. "Sure," she calls back quietly. She doesn't take her eyes of the young waitress while she gets dressed to go, only finally looking back at her companion when Abby slips away. The question Trask asks is ignored as Liz leans on her elbows toward him and keeps her voice very low. "She looks awful young to have the weight of the world on her shoulders," she sighs quietly. "I hope someone's looking out for her. There are entirely too many kids on the loose lately who look like they need a good meal, a good bed, and something resembling a real life." That frown line between her brows hasn't vanished either.
Trask catches Abby's hand, pressing a very well folded green bill into it, "Thanks for the help" He smiles, "I hope you have a good day."
Abby frowns, looking at the bill pressed into her hand. Part of her, some small part wants to keep it. She did help them, but it was a pinch hit for Natasha. "I'm sure, I will" The bright smile sliding into place. "Thanks much, I'll make sure Natasha gets her share. Both of you, be well, god bless" She doesn't look to see how much it is, that's crass and rude, just shoves it in her pocket when Trask lets her hand go. 'Tash! treat em right" THe redheads coming up with both plates of food, brows raised. "Go help your friend darling. Sleep too before you fall over!" Abby just nods, non committal like and slips out the door with a ring of the bells.
When Abby's gone, Liz smiles slightly at Trask. She doesn't say a word about what he just did — she merely looks at Natasha and nods to the woman as the plates are set down. "Thank you very much. It looks wonderful." After they're alone at their table again, she toys with the spoon in her soup bowl. "And to answer your question…. I'm sort of half thinking about it. I walked away for a lot of reasons." All of them he knows. "Teaching is…. all right. I thought I wanted to do it. And it's a way to help — at least give SOME of these kids the chance to actually get their education. But…. things are getting worse out there, and honestly, Norton? What the hell kind of help am I actually giving anyone?" She smiles just a little. "Maybe I'm saving a few lives by offering a way out…. but I'm drowning in paperwork and bullshit that makes no sense. And I'm surrounded by kids, a lot of them like that young woman, who pretty much are either pissed at the world or have lost so much education is meaningless to them."
Trask nods, "I've never been good with kids myself…but…I understand a teachers work is important…and very thankless, is it so bad that you want to go back to being shot at to avoid it?
Elisabeth snickers at Trask. "When you put it that way, it sounds stupid, doens't it?" she replies and then takes a bite of her soup.
Trask puts his mashed potatoes on top of his meat loaf and begins digging in himself, "Though I hear in new york there are some schools where you can choose to get shot at right there in class."
Elisabeth snickers. "Yeah…. not MY classroom," she says around her spoon. The wicked twinkle in her eyes has got to give away her amusement. "Did you know MY classes are the best-behaved ones in the school?"
Trask says, "Really….maybe it has to do with your hostage negotating skills?"
Elisabeth grins at him. "Oh, I'm quite sure it does," she says with a shrug. "Working in the school system is a lot like talking down an insane man holding a gun on someone." She's sort of being facetious, sort of not. It's NOT all that different. And keeping control of her classroom takes a lot of the same kinds of skills. "Anyway…. like I said, my LT talked to me about it and I thought about it. For all of like ten seconds. And then all the reasons I left came crashing in, and I had to rethink it." She grimaces. She remembers quite clearly what a train wreck Norton was when he got back from HomeSec. She eats bites of the creamy soup around their conversation. "The kids are spooked, though. The more this terrorist shit escalates, the more spooked they all get. It'd be funny to listen to them talk tough if it weren't so terrifying to think that at least half of them are probably on the streets with guns." She grimaces.
Trask reaches over and squeezes her hand, supportively, "So anything special in the news catch your fancy?"
Elisabeth squeezes his hand tightly, setting her spoon down. "Catch my fancy? Hell no. There's too much bad in the news these days. I thought the hate crimes against gays were bad, but the stuff hitting this city right now?" She shakes her head. "And some of the damn people out there are making it worse? Remember that rampage in Greenwich Village a couple weeks ago? And then they're shooting weapons at a presidential candidate? I'm not liking the mood out there much, that's for sure."
Trask nods, "I know…I was at the library when…" He shakes his head. "I don't know what to do sometimes…it is just….too much."
Elisabeth flinches. "Are you kidding me?" she demands of him. "You didn't tell me that! Why didn't you tell me??" She holds his hand even tighter. "Jesus, Norton!" Nothing like hearing THAT kind of news to spike your adrenaline. Especially when you know exactly what kind of situation he walked into. "Now see… that's the kind of situation that keeps making me think I *ought* to go back! At least I can help without… well, getting anywhere near them!"
Trask says, "I was off duty, that's how I got shot. We were lucky, two off duty cops were in the library when they took the hostages. They didn't search very well, so they didn't know we were hiding there. The detective decided instead of trying to negotiate he would just open up on the guys guarding the hostages. Real cowboy move that could have gotten everyone killed. Instead I came to his assistance, drew fire, and we were able to take them down with me being the only one wounded."
Elisabeth just stares at him. "That was possibly the dumbest move I've ever heard of," she finally says. "I hope the detective in question was disciplined to the fullest extent — because that's the kind of shit that escalates situations from hostage crises to mass murders." She tugs her hand back, disgusted with the recital of events. "It's probably good you didn't tell me this right after it happened. I might have been forced to get in someone's face about it. Asinine jackass."
Trask chuckles, "I think he's actually getting a medal, since it worked. I don't know. I Havn't done much followup on the issue."
"Typical," Liz snorts in disgust.
Trask smiles, "Sorry…."
Trask grins at you over his mashed potatoes.
Elisabeth just shakes her head at him and is forced to chuckle softly. "For what? Getting shot?" She shrugs a little. "You don't have to apologize to me, I guess… I'm just your friend, not your keeper, man." She picks up her spoon again, shaking her head. "So what have you been up to the past couple of weeks? Besides recuperating and desk detail?"
Trask says, "You know the normal, muggings, running down rumors" He shrugs a little, "Really it's been kinda slow, especially after the desk duty."
Elisabeth snickers softly around a bite of soup. "It's been slow, or you've been slow?" she teases quietly.
Trask chuckles softly, "A little of both I'm afraid. I had one mugging…a really odd one. But nothing else major.
Elisabeth tilts her head. "Odd?" Because … you know, a mugging's a mugging usually. "What kind of odd?"
Trask says, "The Mugger pulled knives from thin air, and the muggee opened portals to other dimensions, while the vigilante who tried to "fight crime" Turned into half a dozen men at once."
Elisabeth stares at him over her spoon. "Well now… *that's* something you don't see every day," she says, deadpan.
Trask nods, "Only in New York I guess. I took the mugger in, the others ran off."
Elisabeth just shakes her head. "You have all the interesting stories these days." She grins. "And you wonder why I consider going back sometimes."
Trask shakes his head, "It's not worth the hassle, trust me. Although Vortex girl was kinda cute." He winks.
Elisabeth laughs at him. "You seriously need to get laid, Norton."
Trask shakes his head, "Too dangerous…" He chuckles softly, "Relationships are were you really get burned."
Elisabeth pffts. "No one said you hadda go get MARRIED. But if all you're gonna do is looky-no-touchy, you're gonna get cranky eventually." She pauses. "Crankier."
Trask chuckles softly and shakes his head, "What about you? I don't see any ring on your finger." He winks.
"Precisely!" Liz grins at him. "You don't think I don't date, though, do you? C'mon…. you listened to me snivvle over Nick Graham last year. I actually liked him enough to consider long-term!" Until she figured out he was tapping at least three other women at once. She rolls her eyes. "I can't be bothered with the whole cultivation of long-term stuff now. Too much upheaval."
Trask shakes his head, "there is….way too much going on for me to get close to anyone right now."
Elisabeth nods to that. "Yeah, well…. so we're both in the same boat," she says ruefully. "Cuz I've gone out on more first dates in the past year than I have in the previous five." Not that she runs about dating all that often anyway — not like being a cop allowed it all that much! But still! She shrugs. "Anyway… I'm really glad that the mugging turned out okay, even with the involvement of a cute vortex-producing chick." She smiles at him. "I'd really rather not hear you got shot again anytime soon. I think you gave me a gray hair."
Trask touches his arm and shakes his head, "I didn't know you cared so much." He smiles making it clear he did. "Not all of us can be genius musicians.
Elisabeth pffts. "Genius musicians my arse," she comments mildly. "Of course I care. You're my friend! And it's not like I don't know what goes on out there." She's a little more serious. "I worry about all my friends on the streets these days. It's getting far more hairy than I had hoped."
Trask says, "More hairey then you know… Look…for me…keep yourself safe and out of the line of fire, keep….molding our next generation, so I don't have to worry about you.""
Elisabeth sits back in her seat, leaving her sandwich on the table as she studies him thoughtfully. "You really feel that strongly about it? You realize, don't you, that the schools in this town are as much in the line of fire as anyplace else?" Maybe more so, she often thinks to herself.
Trask sighs softly, and puts down his fork. "I know no where is safe, not the streets, not the schools, no where. But …there are very few people I let myself care about any more. And most of them get shot at for a living. Let me have this one ….Never mind… I shouldn't be telling you how to live your life, it's selfish of me."
Elisabeth shakes her head and leans forward to reach out and touch his arm. "Hey… if I wasn't willing to consider your opinion and your thoughts on the matter, I wouldn't have asked," she says quietly. "It's not selfish to want other people safe." She grins a little. "Why do you think I joined the police force in the first place? Serve and protect was never just a catch phrase to me." She squeezes his arm. "I'm not going to make any kind of a decision on it anytime soon. For reasons that are obvious to at least you. I promise."
Trask smiles and shakes his head, "Like I said …it's just silly…I'm just kinda screwed up is all. I like to think I can control things I should know better about."
Elisabeth chuckles softly. "Aren't we all?" Kinda screwed up, she means. Squeezing his arm lightly, she sits back and goes back to eating. "So let's see…. here's my funny anecdote for the day: One of the kids in the geometry class I'm subbing for this week had to write a proof for congruent triangles — proving geometrically that two triangles are actually the same triangle of different sizes," she explains just in case he doesn't remember from that far back. "He brought me his homework and I was skimming over it when I came across the proof for why teachers should go for younger, virile men like students instead of people their own age." Her expression is absolutely sincere. And she looks up to meet his eyes when she says it, cuz… well, his reaction might be worth it.
Trask grins wide and chuckles softly, it takes him a few moments of head shaking, and then turns into a full belly laugh. He grabs some water and attempts to drown the laughter in the glass. When he finally recovers he says softly, "Well, the kid has good eyes at least."
Elisabeth sips from her Coke and calmly eats her sandwich while she watches him laugh, only chuckling around a bite of sandwich when he finally speaks. "It was definitely well worth my Friday," she agrees on a giggle. "Here I'm congratulating myself that it's my fairness and firm hand that they're responding to, and doesn't that just completely both stroke my ego *and* blow it out of the water. I mean, really."
Trask says, "Was he cute?"
Elisabeth blinks and starts to laugh. "Sure! For a fifteen year old punk three inches shorter than me!" She throws her napkin at Trask. "Geezus, Norton!" she adds on a laugh. "He's a BABY!"
Trask says, "I don't know…some 15 year old girl had an impressive pick up line like that, I'd have to at least give her a good long looking at. " He winks."
Elisabeth shakes her head at him. "You're a dog, man," she says with a smirk. "Seriously, he might be cute, but …. eew! That's too much brass for a fifteen year old, in my book. I was very kind about letting him down — I didn't laugh in his face!"
Trask says, "Aren't you just the little seductive vixen. I thought that kinda thing happened only to substitute teachers?""
Elisabeth shoots back without even blinking, "Nope, happens to blonde lesbian ex-cop terrorists, too!"
Trask raises an eyebrow, "Your a lesbian now?"
Elisabeth laughs at him. She can't help it.
Trask says, "Well that makes things so much easier…you can help me check out chicks…so what did you think of the waitress?"
"I say blonde, lesbian, ex-cop, and terroris in the same sentence, and you latch onto lesbian. You *so* need to get laid. Really!" Liz sputters her words amid giggles. "And I definitely think she's too young for you," she retorts. A glance back toward the counter, though, and she turns a hair more serious. "And I think she's got a lot of crap going on, too." There's a brief pause. "If you have the opportunity, you might want to keep an eye on this place. I got caught in the middle of something a hair…. off… the other night when I stopped in for a burger. Probably not bad 'off', but… might be worth watching."
Trask says, "What happened?" He leans forward, "as for the rest of the sentence, I know your an ex-cop, I know your not a real blonde, way to smart for that. And admitting to being a terrorist is just going to land you in handcuffs…which now that I think of it isn't such a bad idea."
Elisabeth quirks a brow at him now. "Why Detective, are you getting kinky with me?" she asks in a teasing parody of his own teasing months ago. She leans forward on her elbows and admits, "I'm honestly not sure. Some girl came flying in the door, checked out one of the students from the school, and started yammering pretty much incoherently. But she was looking for your little waitress, and another blonde chick nearly immediately grabbed the incoherent one by the arm and hustled her off to the restroom. I didn't really want to get involved or anything, but it was definitely a bit strange. Could be drugs, could be …. who knows?" She shrugs. "It wasn't quite off enough for me to call it in and get a unit out here, but…. eh, if we're gonna wind up having lunch here sometimes, might be prudent to watch some of the regulars."
Elisabeth grins a little and adds, "If only because…. if it's something other than drugs, your skills might come in handy."
Trask says, "You think it's something evolved? Is that why you mentined the terrorist angle?"
Elisabeth shrugs. "In this town, you can't rule anything out," she comments. "It could just as easily be drugs or weapons or who-knows-what-all. But she said something bizarre enough that it caught my attention — she asked some of the folks hanging out in here that night if 'this' was some kind of Justice League thing. That sort of implies to me that it might be questionable."
Trask says, "justice League? Like the old tv show…you know with Aqua man and Batman?"
Elisabeth grins. "Yeah, that one."
Trask says, "So ….which one can talk to fish? I mean…that seems like the coolest power ever, don't you think?"
Elisabeth chuckles at him. "Dick," she comments mildly. "Haven't a clue, and haven't a clue if it's even anything. Just suggesting that if we're gonna hang out, maybe we keep an eye open. Your little cutie looked stressed to the max, so if she's in trouble, I'd like to get her out of it … if we're gonna wind up here for dinner and all."
Trask nods slowly, "And if we do find out this is a secret staging area for Pariah…or Pheonix, or something like that?"
Elisabeth looks confused. "What about it? Unless someone's doing something dangerous or completely illegal in plain sight, I've go no interest in causing trouble. I'm mentioning it so we can… I dunno. Keep people like your little waitress out of the line of fire if all hell breaks loose?" She is puzzled about what he's asking her. "What…. you think I, of all people, am gonna run around turning people in? Get real. I thought you knew me better than that."
Trask nods, "Hey…you know that if I don't turn them in it's my badge. As much as I hate it. What if that little girl….my little girl as you say were some dangerous nut job terrorist? What if she just wrote graffiti all over the walls of midtown….if I found out about it…what am I supposed to do?
Elisabeth grimaces slightly. "Yeah… you got a point there. Never mind. Maybe we'll just avoid the place like the plague from here on out." She smiles slightly. "I wasn't thinking. Sorry."
Trask shakes his head, "No if you think it's something we should look into…but if it's not for turning them in…why do you want to find terrorists?
Elisabeth looks at him with that look. "I *don't* want to find terrorists, crazy idiot. I just want to keep other people out of the line of fire of them!" She rolls her eyes. "Look, never mind — I was suggesting nothing more than that you keep your eyes open if you happen to be patrolling around so that *if* there was any trouble, you might be able to head it off. I don't want you to go looking into anyone's business, Norton. That's just… not a good idea in today's climate, you know?"
Trask puts up his hands, "Look….I'm sorry…i didn't mean to imply anything…can we return to a safer subject, like pediphilla?
Elisabeth eyes him. "Seriously… I don't want you to lose your badge. And since most unregistered Evolved out there are unlikely to even part of those organizations, I think you're better off not looking. If you look and find something…." The expression on her face now is wary with him. "Well, there are some things they're doing I don't agree with — the whole terrorist angle. But some people out there are doing good things. So you're right. Let's just talk about something else."
Trask puts his hand on hers, "Elisabeth. I want you to know…no matter what you tell me. Our friendship is more important then my badge…
Elisabeth squeezes his hand tightly, her expression easing. "That I never worried about for a moment. I know they watch you pretty close and all…. so just… if being friends with me starts causing you trouble, you'll tell me, right?"
Trask says, "Trouble is my middle name…" He smiles, "Besides your always trouble,"
Elisabeth wrinkles her nose at him, laughing. "Who, me? How'm *I* trouble?"
Trask says, "You have to ask?" He smiles and shakes his head. "Your nothing but trouble.""
Elisabeth pffts at him. "You give me one example of where *I* am trouble in any form. And fifteen year old horndogs don't count."
Trask opens his mouth to answer, pauses at your exception, frowns and nods, thinking a second, "Well…I do sometimes have to beat the men off with a stick when your around…and now it seems I'm going to have to beat the women off too."
Elisabeth just rolls her eyes. "It's not my fault that men can't keep their attention on what they're doing. If they look, it's their problem," she dismisses with a grin. She's not self-conscious about her looks — they are what they are. She flaunts them when the situation warrants and doesn't when it doesn't. But she grins at him, "I think it's just wishful thinking on your part about beating off the women. It's that whole girl-on-girl-gets-me-hot mindset that you men have going."
Trask nods, "So…Excop Lesbian Terrorist, what /is/ your type now that you have sworn off men?"
Elisabeth sighs theatrically. "Aw, I can't swear off men altogether. C'mon…. all students and no grown-up playtime makes Liz a dull girl," she quips, picking up her soda to drink from it.
Trask says, "I see…well you have to pick…swear of men…or swear off sleeping with students…I know it's a hard choice!"
Elisabeth mumbles under her breath, disgruntled. "Oh, all right. I'll swear off the students." She makes a mock-unhappy face, and then she dissolves into chuckles. "I still can't believe the kid's brass ones. And it was actually pretty darn well written out. He's good at logic."
Trask says, "So your saying he won you over with his arguments?"
Liz laughs in his face. "He wishes!"
Trask says, "Hey can't blame him for having good taste…the way you dance around the room in that tight black skirt with the white chaulk marks on the rear?"
Elisabeth looks alarmed. "Please tell me you're kidding!" She has, in fact, worn a black skirt to work before.
Trask says, "You know…let your new Bisexual status get out and I'm sure it won';t just be the male students doing extra homework."
Elisabeth now pffts and ignores him. "You're a jerk some days, Norton." She shakes her head at him.
Trask sighs softly, "Liz…I'm sorry…you know I don't mean to be… sometimes my mouth gets away from me?
Elisabeth looks at him and smiles. "Yeah… .kinda why I like you." She's not in the least upset at him.
Trask says, "You like me because of my mouth?"
Elisabeth shrugs. "I like you cuz you don't feel like you have to censor yourself for me."
Trask says, "Censor myself? Why should I censor myself for you?"
Elisabeth shrugs. "You shouldn't. We're friends, you can say anything you want — even when it's over the line and your mouth runs away with you." She smiles a bit sadly. "But I don't have too many friends like that these days. Nor do I have many that I trust not to censor myself with. You're in a pretty elite group."
Trask says, "I don't mind being…choosy about who I can talk around. I don't have a lot of people I can be open with about most things.""
Elisabeth smiles at him and says, "So what're you doing with the rest of the evening?"
Trask says, "You mean spending it with a beautiful woman isn't good enough anymore?"
Elisabeth smiles at him and tilts her head. "Well, now…. there's an invitation I can't refuse…. assuming, of course, you were talking about me and not that cute little waitress." She winks.
Trask grins softly, "Your much cuter in a chaulk stained black skirt then she is.
Elisabeth laughs at him and picks her spoon back up. "Well, if you've got nothing better to do on a Friday night than hang with me, wanna catch a movie?"
Trask says, "Sure…what is playing?"
"Hell, I don't know," Liz replies easily. "Let's just head that way and take a look?"
Trask grins, "I'm game. I don't think I have anything major going on. What kind of movie you in the mood for?
Elisabeth considers and admits, "Something either funny or where lots of stuff blows up every few minutes."
Trask says, "Well… I don't think Diehard is playing anymore…""
Elisabeth chuckles. "Those are always worth a laugh," she agrees. "And shit blows up left and right! Bonus. I haven't seen anything like that on the ads lately. But…. if you wanted, I own the first two of those ones." She shrugs a little. "You can hang at my place or something."
Trask grins a bit, "We could rent 3 and 4 and make a marathon of it.
Elisabeth shrugs, "Sure!" She grins. "But if I fall asleep on the couch in the middle of it and snore, you're not allowed to harass me for it."
Trask says, "You think that if a beautiful woman falls asleep in my arms my thoughts are going to be on her-ass-ment?"
Elisabeth raises both her eyebrows and snickers at him. "Yeah… something like that," she says. "C'mon, let's go do something fun, then. It's Friday, I don't have to look at my students for two days, and pleasant company is definitely a good thing in my book."
Trask says, "So….home for a movie, or drinjking and dancing first?"
Elisabeth blinks and pauses. "Okay…. so you're gonna think I'm totally stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway. Did you just ask me out on a date? Like… a date-date?"
Trask blinks and looks down at the remains of his mashed potatoes and meat loaf, "I don't know….would you want it to be a date-date?
Now she's got that expression on her face of girl-confusion. "The ways I could respond to that are myriad, beginning with the ever-so-intelligent 'I asked you first' and trailing right on down the list to the game-playing 'I don't know, would YOU want it to be a date-date?' And since you're hedging, that usually means the answer is 'yes' to the question. So since I'm not going to play any games with this one…. if you were asking me on a date, I'd say yes. With a caveat…" Liz pauses and waits for him to look up at her before saying, "I don't want to lose my friend. No matter what else goes on."
Trask smiles and shakes his head. "I didn't mean to make it a date-dateI … your too important to me as a friend to risk….but … I wouldn't turn one down either, if we both agree no matter what we can keep what we have now?"
There's a tilt of her head, and Liz replies mildly, "Well, if you didn't ask me, then you didn't ask me. I can go dancing with you as a friend just as easily as I can on a date…. you've just never asked me about dancing before, that's all." She smiles. "No matter what, though, I'd rather keep you as a friend than have you as an ex-boyfriend who doesn't talk to me anymore."
Trask shakes his head, "Nope..you already said yes…you can't take it back."
Elisabeth laughs at him. "Well, fine then. You takin' me dancing, Mister Po-Leece-Man? You can dance, right?"
Trask says, "I've been known to dance…once or twice. They still do the robot right?"
Elisabeth makes that 'oh dear GOD, he's kidding, right?' face.
Trask says, "what?? What?? " He stands up and puts some money down on the table, including a hefty tip not nearly the c-note he slipped abbie but still. He takes a moment look at her face, and then asks one more time, "What?"
 November 7th: After Naivete |
 November 7th: Friday Night Fever |