Checking Things Out

[brian_campo]

Brian stared at the occult shop, hands in his pockets. It was his reason for driving down to Searchlight. In Las Vegas, these kinds of shops felt like tourist traps, and he worried about running into someone he knew, like a kid who recognized him from a show. His band, the Fraying Nerves, wasn’t famous, not even locally, so it was a conceited stretch to imagine that. Still. His luck, it would happen.

He wasn’t going in. He just wanted to look, to picture himself walking in, to get used to the idea.

Through the filter of sunglasses, he looked around himself. The town was a pit stop on the highway. Dusty, quiet, bright as fucking Tatooine. None of the buildings were tall enough to block the sun. Everything looked bleached.

“Hey, Mr. Hollywood, mind stepping aside so I can buy that paper?”

“Huh?”

A man held up a quarter and gestured at the newspaper stand Brian leaned on.

“Oh, sorry.” Brian straightened up. Embarrassed, he crossed the street and kept walking until he came to a diner. He ducked inside without checking the name and slid into an empty chair. A whoosh of air conditioning chilled the sweat on his face and his arm pits. He tried to discreetly inspect them. Two wet circles darkened his Smiths t-shirt. Great.

He mopped his face on his shoulder and took a menu.

[Thread: Open to Valerie]

Comments

[valerie_vause]

Searchlight held a certain charm. The kind usually associated with ghost towns, despite how busy it was during the day. Maybe in part due to the arid surroundings. A stark contrast to where she’d grown up. Though Valerie didn’t mind the dust, or the sand, or the lack of tall thick trees that created shade and beauty, but the sun... Once or twice she’d caught herself wondering if she were about to burst into flames. Yet it had it’s benefits. With very little places to hide from the light it reduced the risk of unsavoury things attempting to encroach beyond their territory. For a while at least, all bets were off as soon as dusk hit.

It was because of the sun that she felt so comfortable being in the town. Not that she had explored much of it yet, but she had time. It wasn’t like she would be moving away anytime soon, she’d practically just got settled in her dorm. That being said, some of the food on campus tasted like it had been caught by the side of the road and so she’d taken it upon herself to tour the local diners. Right now she sat alone at a table inside the... Wait, what was the place called? It didn’t matter at the moment, because the waitress had stopped by her table and the blonde was finally ordering.

“So the cheeseburger comes with salad and pickles, right? And can I have extra fries with that? Aaaannd a large banana milkshake. Wait, what kind of pie do you serve here? You know what, it doesn’t matter, could you just bring me a slice of the two that’s most popular?”

The waitress paused, pencil still pressed against the pad in her hand as she eyed the girl curiously. “Anything else?”

Valerie took a second to consider it before shaking her head with a smile, “That’s everything, thank you.”

“Alright, be a few minutes for the burger but I’ll be back with your pie in a moment.” With that said she turned and walked back to the kitchen.

Pale fingers closed the menu and slid it across the table as Valerie relaxed back in the chair. She’d picked this place because it had a handful of customers. Busy didn’t always mean good, especially with her appetite.

With time to kill she let her eyes wander over the others in the diner. Some sat alone like her, others in groups, and then there was the guy who’d walked in a few minutes ago. She offered him a smile before plucking a straw out of a glass to worry the paper at the end between her fingertips.

[brian_campo]

In the middle of futzing with his hair, Brian caught the blonde’s eye. Guilty, he laid off and looked at the waitress. “Uh, I’ll take a diet Pepsi and--”

“We have Coke.” She scratched her hairline with the pencil.

“Diet Coke then. Whatever’s brown.” He studied the menu again and thought, Nice. That doesn't even eliminate shit water. “Uh…” He read the lunch specials for the third time. The selection of greasy food was standard fare, so why couldn’t he come up with an order? Probably because he hadn’t slept right in weeks and he kept forgetting to eat. Weird how being hungry made food baffling. “What specials do you have?”

“Meat loaf,” she said.

“Definitely not that,” he mumbled. “What’d she order?” He tipped his head at the girl across the way. Maybe she knew the place and could save him from food poisoning or disappointment.

The waitress frowned

-- well, she definitely thinks I’m a freak --

and flipped the page on her pad. “Cheeseburger, extra fries, banana milkshake, two slices of pie.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of food… But that sounds good. We'll keep it easy, right?” Brian cracked his knuckles and handed her his menu.

The waitress scowled and took it. “Right.”

Brian watched her leave. He realized his last comment made him sound like a prick, like she couldn’t keep her orders straight when she'd probably been a waitress since he was in diapers. It wasn’t how he meant it, but he had that problem a lot. He's say something trying to lighten the mood and come off like a toolbag. Unintentional slickness. Whatever was the opposite of likability. People took one look at him and decided he was a jerk. Maybe I am a jerk and I'm just too stupid to realize it, he thought.

He inspected his palms.

[valerie_vause]

Valerie didn’t think anything of it as the waitress returned with two plates. Until she noticed each plate had two slices of pie. Confused, she opened her mouth to say something but the woman sat one down in front of her, then deposited the tall glass of thick yellow sludge that was her milkshake. Then she about turned and served the other plate to the guy that had came in. It took her a second to realise that he had the same kind that she did. A slice of banana cream and a cherry one that smelled faintly of cinnamon. What were the odds of that? Maybe the pie here was that good everyone bought two. She had asked for the most popular. Besides, his drink was fizzy.

Without questioning it the blonde ripped the paper off her straw and stuck it into her glass. She used it to stir the contents as best she could before taking a tentative sip. Oh god, that was good. Sweet, creamy and deliciously cold. What more could she want? Another sip was taken as she resisted the temptation to taste the pie. No sense in filling up on all the sugary stuff when her food would be ready soon.

Though she did cast a glance towards the stranger to see if he was eating his. Alright, technically everyone was a stranger right now, but he was the only one Valerie had become curious about. Maybe he ate here all the time. Though he didn’t share the same tan that the locals all seemed to have. Granted, neither did she, in comparison she probably looked white enough to resemble a ghost. She shook her head and pushed the plate into the middle of the table, only to brush her hands down her faded Rolling Stones t-shirt to smooth the fabric out. She was being weird.

At least, she thought she was, but when the waitress returned with a large plate, half of which covered with fries, Valerie couldn’t help but watch as she again returned to the guy across from her. The waitress set the same damn thing down in front of him. Right down to the extra fries. Valerie frowned down at her cutlery before plucking up the fork to stab into the salad that came with the burger. She hesitated as the fork made it’s way to her mouth and had to wonder if something was going on.

With her free hand she lifted the bun up to inspect the contents under it before deciding whatever it was, it surely wouldn’t be poison. Or floor food. Both, in her eyes, were the same. Unless of course the floor was her own, in which case the five second rule truly applied.

Valerie took another sip of her milkshake and decided she was hungry enough to not care what was going on. The fork finally made it to her mouth and she crunched away at the salad. It was her own way of pretending that it would counter all the fatty, sugary things she’d soon be eating.

[brian_campo]

“Thanks,” Brian said. He felt conciliatory, so he made an effort to hold the waitress’s eye contact. He smiled. See? I’m not so bad. This isn’t working. Focus on the cheeseburger. He picked up the sandwich and took a big bite. The tangy flavor of dill pickle overwhelmed him and he forced himself to keep chewing. Why hadn’t he thought to ask what condiments came on the burger?

He washed it down with coke and opened up the bun. There were four pickle slices in there. “Seems like overkill,” he muttered. He slung them on a napkin and inspected the bread for the yellow imprints that would mean his sandwich was permanently contaminated by pickle juice.

Just try to mask it with ketchup. He pounded the glass bottle but only a few specks came out. The waitress had gone back to the kitchen.

Brian looked across the way at the girl.

“Hey,” he called. He dangled the empty bottle between his fingers. “Um… ketchup. I’m out. You got any?”

[valerie_vause]

There was never enough salad. It was like an afterthought that graced the plate. Well, not on Valerie’s, five forkfuls and it was gone. At least the burger had it’s own. She picked it up and just got her teeth to it as the voice called out. She froze pre-bite, eyes shifting to look at him to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. When she saw the bottle in his hand Valerie twigged.

The burger found itself back on the plate as she called back, “Let me check.”

It had to be at the other side of the table out of reach, just great. Valerie stood up just enough to grab it, narrowly missing her drink with the bottle as she gave it an experimental shake. There was weight to it, whether or not the sauce would be congealed was another thing entirely. It would be rude to just throw it and shout catch, right?

Valerie shook her head, then made her way over to him with the ketchup in hand. “So I felt the weirdest déjá vu watching the food I ordered find its way onto your table.”

The tone was bemused as she handed him the bottle. “Is it any good?”

It smelled alright to Valerie so the taste couldn’t be that bad. Though her gaze settled on his napkin with suspicion. Unless the pickles were rancid.

[brian_campo]

“Yeah, I copped your order.” He took the ketchup bottle and unscrewed the cap. A healthy amount of sauce splashed onto his burger. He set the bottle aside and put the bun back in place. “I wasn’t trying to be a creep. I just couldn’t figure out what to order.” There was ketchup on his thumb. He licked it off. “The burger’s good, though. It’s…” What do you say about burgers? He thought back to his favorite fast food commercials and came up blank. “Good.”

It was at this point that he realized he still wore his sunglasses.

Oh, god.

Brian slowly took them off and folded the side pieces. He was batting a thousand today.
“How’s the shake?”

[valerie_vause]

“Ah...” Valerie watched the sauce hit the burger, oozed almost, across the surface before being squashed down with the bun. Years ago she might have avoided the condiment, it resembled blood in the strangest of ways and brought about memories. Now, she didn’t mind. Ketchup was ketchup. With a shrug she motioned to her own table, a half hearted wave towards her neglected plate as she announced, “I had no idea if it would be nice or not, just figured burgers were a safe bet to have.”

Though she did fight a slight smile as he decided once and for all that it was good. Not that he would notice, as he seemed busy with his shades. Valerie pressed her lips together before lifting the bottle back and retreating a half step.

“Huh? Oh...” Valerie shrugged again in with a slight smile, “You know, thick and cold like the abominable snowman. It’s a sugar rush in a glass.”

Another back step was taken as she added, “Enjoy your meal.” Then she pivoted and made her way back to her seat to take the bite she had wanted moments before. One thought ran through her head as she chewed. So, he wasn’t local either.

[brian_campo]

Balling up a napkin, he watched her retreat. He shoved a French fry between his teeth. There they were, two people with matching orders eating by themselves. Brian didn’t usually do meals alone, and definitely not in public. It made him feel like a loser. He didn’t even have a crutch, like a book or Walkman. He supposed he could buy a newspaper and pretend to be interested in national news, but something about eating in a diner while reading the paper said Grandpa Campo.

He got up and picked up his food, balancing the pie plates on his forearm.

“Stay,” he murmured. It was an experiment. Maybe this new talent would lend itself to success in the lucrative field of waiting tables. He tucked the Coke glass in the crook of his elbow and walked to the girl.

“I feel lame over there by myself,” he said. “Mind if I sit?”

If she says no, it’s a long walk of shame back to that seat, he thought.

[valerie_vause]

After a second bite Valerie decided a little ketchup wouldn’t hurt to have at the side of her plate, for dipping purposes. She unscrewed the lid and let a thick red glob splat next to her fries. Then watched it fan out slowly as she chewed and swallowed. It made her think of that ridiculous black and white movie, The Blob. The truth was the blonde felt content with her full plate and empty table. She’d been trained to keep people at a distance, for their safety as much as her own, so eating alone never really bothered her. Though, she wasn’t against company, or friends for that matter. The trick was to be careful.

Two fries were dragged through the sauce and popped into her mouth as Valerie caught sight of the guy making his way over with his food. Really, the blonde knew what was going to be asked before he even spoke, but it was nice to know he wasn’t about to just sit down and invade her space without permission. It was the little things that made her smile.

“By all means.” Carefully she brushed a few strands of blonde hair behind an ear and motioned for him to take a seat. “Feeling lame never did anyone any good.” Though it could soon become awkward if she didn’t say anything else.

Valerie toyed with a fry before using it to scoop up sauce to spread on the inside of her bun. Satisfied, she took a bite and chewed for a moment before covering her mouth to speak, “This is actually better than I thought it would be. I think I’ll come back.”

[brian_campo]

Brian unloaded his plates and sat down. “So it’s your first time, too,” he surmised. He bet the diner got a decent amount of highway traffic. That’s probably how she wound up eating lunch in the same spot. No way was this girl from Searchlight. The sun would have baked her like a potato. He was pale, too, but only because he was a night owl. If he spent more than an hour outdoors, his Italian genes kicked into high gear.

He polished off his burger in two bites. While he was chewing, he noticed her Stones t-shirt. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her favorite album, but he stopped himself. What if she accused him of gawking at her chest? He had gotten kicked in the balls once for staring at a chick’s rack. He had actually been studying a stain on her blouse, but pointing that out just made it worse.

Awesome, now I am gawking at it. Jesus, what am I, twelve? It’s like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The harder I try not to think about, the more I can't stop.

He turned his attention to her French fry. “You ever have those on a burger? I went to Pittsburgh once and they put them on their salad. ”

[valerie_vause]

Valerie had nothing against being tan or even getting one herself. The trouble was finding the time. If she spent the same long hours outside wandering around in the sun as she did at night creeping through the moonbeams... Yeah, she’d probably bake. Lucky for her she enjoyed what she did. Life would have seemed dreary and pointless otherwise. On the other hand, at least it was never boring, even if some days she couldn’t quite get out of bed until at least noon.

“A little less obvious than you.” She smiled then, pausing to sip at her shake for a second before nodding. “But yeah, first time here. Can’t say it’ll be my last though.”

The fork had long been forgotten as she plucked up a French fry and dipped it in ketchup. It almost made it to her mouth too before she paused to look at him. Then the fry, which got devoured so she could sigh, “Honestly?”

Valerie chewed the inside of her lip, her elbows lifted to rest on the table as she leaned in closer, as if about to share a terrible secret that held shame, “Yes. And I’m not proud of it but sometimes... Even on a sandwich. If it goes with it. I mean, I don’t make peanut butter and fry ones, but a nice steak one? Tasty.”

Valerie nodded as if she’d just told him to trust her, picked up her burger and took a bite. It wasn’t until she’d swallowed it that she looked at him and frowned, “On their salad? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?” Said the girl with two slices of pie waiting.

Fingers plucked up a napkin to wipe across her hands, then something hit her, and a startled little, “Oh.” escaped. The blonde cast her gaze towards him just to state gently, “I’m Valerie, by the way.”

[brian_campo]

He chewed a bite of pie. “Brian,” he said, making a half-assed effort to cover his mouth. He sensed flakes of crust on his mouth and back-handed it. “I live in the city,” he said. It wasn’t necessary to specify which one. Nothing else around. “I’m not out here much.” Or ever. It hit him late that his turn of the conversation could be problematic. What was he going to say if Valerie asked why he drove to Searchlight… That he was window shopping? For what, a pair of moccasins from Jack’s Trading Post?

“I’m a musician,” he said, veering into safer territory. Then he shook his head and smiled. “Not really. I’m trying to be a musician. I really work in a record shop.”

[valerie_vause]

There was a nod or two given as Brian spoke, for the most part Valerie just listened and enjoyed her meal. Though she pieced what information she had together to get a better grasp of who sat across from her. It was simply her nature to pay attention to the details. Why would a record shop employee, slash musician in the making, bother to venture into a dusty little town like this if not for something? There had to be a reason, but the topic clearly made him uncomfortable.

Valerie watched him for a second or two as she finished off her burger, but kept her thoughts to herself while she wiped her mouth. The blonde took a liberal sip of her shake before asking, “So what instrument are you trying to play?”

[brian_campo]

“Mostly synth,” he said. A car caught his eye and he watched its driver pull into a parking spot. “I’ve been playing piano since I was a kid. My ma picked one up at an estate sale. It was pretty beat up.” He leaned his elbows on the table and tapped his straw against his plate. “I liked to bang on it so she sent me to this old dude’s house for lessons. He smelled like hot dog water, but he was a good teacher.”

Brian watched her sipping the banana shake. With her mouth puckered, her eyes looked even bigger. Valerie reminded him of his little sister's dolls. There was one in particular with yellow yarn for hair and buttons for eyes.

“You play?”

[valerie_vause]

Despite never once laying a finger on one, Valerie could imagine the thing in less than perfect condition. Second hand things had character in a way shiny, brand new things, didn’t. Maybe because it held history, memories and nostalgia. She tried to picture him younger, thumping at the piano with enthusiastic hands, and grinned a little. Why was it that most teachers, particularly older ones, all had a strange scent? Usually it held some weight with what they taught, but hot dog water seemed like the worst. “He’d have to be if he smelled like that but at least you can play, I bet she’s proud of that.”

She toyed with the fries that remained on her plate, but had lost interest in them. The burger had been more than enough after all. Valerie pushed the plate aside and replaced it with the pie. Fingers twiddled the fork as she blinked at him. “Me? Uh... Maybe the triangle?” She shrugged then, not embarrassed but perhaps bashful. “I’m not so good with the music. Ears have a tendency to bleed when I pick up an instrument.”

Metal sliced through pastry and she scooped a small chunk into her mouth. Not bad. She fiddled with the fork absentmindedly and used her free hand to push a few strands of blonde hair behind her ear. Then Valerie leveled him with a bemused look. “I just lost a lot of cool points for that answer, huh?”

[brian_campo]

“Nah.” His index finger scratched at his temple. “You’d lose cool points if you said French horn. Besides, there’s lots of things I can’t do. Sports, for one.” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “When I was thirteen, I sprained my neck trying to clear the vault in gym class.” He gestured at the crook of his neck. “I forgot to use my hands. Just… bam,” he slapped his palm, “bounced my face right off it. I spent a month in one of those foam neck braces, and the next year recovering from social suicide.”

He ate a cold French fry. “Lucky for me, women are hot for keyboard players.” His mouth hitched at the left corner.

[valerie_vause]

Valerie found herself leaning in when he did, like a couple of teenagers swapping secrets. Elbows lifted to rest against the table as she listened, even as her eyes followed his hand to his neck. Her gaze lingered there a second, watched his pulse jump beneath the skin, then snapped out of it when he clapped. “You were lucky all you got was a foam neck brace and not a wheelchair! I mean... The worst I ever got at that age was a few scrapes and bruises.” Now was an entirely different story, but she at least healed faster. Lips and teeth worried the straw in her glass before she sipped, and she began to nod at what he said.

“Well yeah because they know what to do with their fingers.” It wasn’t until she began chewing another piece of pie that her words really registered and she coughed. One hand covered her mouth but did nothing to conceal the sudden flush of colour that spread up her neck to reach her face. Valerie looked almost everywhere else bar at Brian as she added quickly, “To make the best music! I mean, that takes skill and who likes to listen to music that’s off key, right?”

[brian_campo]

Brian’s mouth opened.

He laughed a staccato, echoing note in an otherwise quiet diner. He quickly checked to see if the other patrons were listening. Then he hissed, “Are you kidding?” in a weak attempt to create privacy. “That’s like me claiming I like cheerleaders because I appreciate the art of pyramid-building. Oh my god.”

He was going to laugh again. He tried clearing his throat.

“Aw man, that reminds me. The guy, the hot dog guy. He—" Brian broke off and felt himself starting to lose it. “He used to tell me to do these ‘fingering’ exercises to improve my hand coordination. You think he was on to something?”

[valerie_vause]

Pale pink rapidly became crimson when laughter reached Valerie’s ears. Her eyes closed as she pressed her lips together, an attempt to fight off the embarrassment. The hissed question didn’t help, though she opened her eyes to scan the diner. Alright, nobody was any the wiser. “Well I... I just...Um...” What? What could she possibly add that would help? Now was not the appropriate time to casually state that although she was never a cheerleader, she could back flip like the best of them. She brought a hand up to rub the side of her neck, and resisted the urge to bite her own tongue off.

Valerie felt her jaw slacken when he said the word fingering, it didn’t help that the surprise caused her to look right at him, and for a whole second she truly wanted to die. To just combust where she sat and crumble away out of sight. “Oh god.” She groaned down at her plate. “That’s a good question, is he still alive, I could go ask him.”

The blonde cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. Alright, she could do better than that, she could play back. Valerie used her hands to motion to herself as she stated quietly, “The embarrassed part of me kind of wants the ground to open up beneath my seat but...” She grinned, embarrassment be damned. “The other side thinks his lessons might have been golden. Unless you’ve had a lot of complaints in which case you need a better teacher.”

[brian_campo]

Dilemma. Assert that he never heard any complaints, or suggest that he’d like more practice? The words came out before he could think clearly. “Only one way to find out. I need a test subject. You available?”
His mother would have slapped him upside the head.

Brian groaned. He pulled the neckline of his tee shirt over his face. “Too far. I know.” His voice was muffled. He didn’t want to come out of hiding and see her face, already an atomic shade of red, go purple. Valerie was a nice girl. You didn’t talk to nice girls like that; you saved it for the bleached blondes who hung out backstage at shows. What if some punk spoke to his sister like that? She was seven, but the day was coming. Brian would knock his teeth out.

[valerie_vause]

It wasn’t what Brian said, so much as his reaction to it that had Valerie’s mouth open with amusement. No laughter escaped save a stuttered choke of noise that she managed to quell by clearing her throat. Whatever she had expected in return it was a safe bet she hadn’t considered that response, and while she knew it was a joke she had to tease him about it. That kind of opportunity only happened once every blue moon. “Traditionally dinner is bought first before you get to practice your keystrokes but at the very least slip a girl a mix tape.”

Pale hands splayed against the table to smooth along the surface of it. She eyed the top of his head, since his face was completely hidden by his shirt but a tuft of hair poked up and she almost lost herself to laughter. She sniffed to cover it, with a bit of a cough, before saying as innocently as she could manage, “Do you think they have unisex bathrooms here?”

[brian_campo]

Just like that, Brian came to attention. The collar of his t-shirt snapped back into place. He gawked at her. That piece of hair continued to stand on end in accidental homage to erections everywhere.

“Oh. You’re fucking with me.”

This girl knocked him off-guard. She was all eyelashes and pink cheeks, and then she’d go say something like that. A dozen times, girls had dropped sleazier lines on him, come-ons straight out of porno, without it giving him a mental record-scratch. He would shrug, chug a drink, and follow her into a dark corner. Half the time, he was high and didn't remember how he got the hickeys on his chest.

“Nice one.” He tried to sip his diet coke and forgot that the glass was already empty. He set it back down.

“For the record, I wouldn’t have taken you up on that.” You are a lying sack of shit. “So don’t get cocky.”

[valerie_vause]

“I am.”

The smile on Valerie’s face changed to something far more Cheshire, it held no malice, just mischief. Fingers toyed with the straw of her shake, absently stirring the contents as she watched him attempt to drink air. That was when it dawned on her that he was a bit flustered, and it amused the heck out of her. Admittedly she could be kind and let the whole thing go, but she had no intentions of it. This had become a whole lot of fun since she’d stopped trying to spontaneously combust.

“See, now that could damage a girls ego, but for the record, between you and me...” Valerie leaned across the table, held his gaze and lowered her voice to whisper, “I can see that you’re already up for something.”

The chair creaked as she stood up just enough to reach out and gently smooth down the peak of his hair that had stayed sprung like a cockatoo’s crest. “There...” She breathed, only to relax back into her seat with a cheeky look directed his way. “You aren’t standing to attention anymore.”

[brian_campo]

“I’m sorry,” he began, a whole planet of apologies on his tongue.

Then she smoothed down his hair. It was his cowlick. Jesus. His cowlick was standing up, not his dick. “Oh. Crap. I looked down, didn’t I?” Busted. Brian scrubbed his hands over his cheeks. He was disappointed in himself. This was not his A-game. Or maybe this was his A-game when he wasn’t strung out. That was disturbing.

“You’re bad, you know that?” He smiled and made a combined fist of his hands, which he pressed against his mouth. “What’s the word for those women who lure unsuspecting men in with their sweet smiles and cherry pie and then, chhhtt!, they chop off their balls? Is there a word for that? If not, we’re naming them after you.”

[valerie_vause]

Valerie’s eyebrows arched slightly at his apology, and she had been about to ask why when he offered the explanation for her. Silence lingered for a second as her mind connected the dots and she felt herself blush slightly, “Oh...” The blonde cleared her throat and took a sip or three at her milkshake. “Well that’s... You know... Flattering.” Though in a sense it could be, she had to wonder if it had been due to the possibility of the act or if he genuinely felt attraction.

Green eyes shifted to the pie on her plate despite the way her lips tugged into a smile. She plucked the fork up and began dissecting a piece. “Maybe a little bad.” She agreed, only to laugh at the description he gave. The sound was light but hearty as Valerie brought a hand up to run through her hair. “I think you just described a wife. Don’t worry, I’m not one of those, and I rarely take balls as a souvenir anymore. For some reason they aren’t as much fun to play with when they aren’t attached to anything.”

[brian_campo]

“For some reason.” Brian nodded while his mind chewed on that visual. He rubbed his hands together. Yeeeep. “Glad to hear there’s no husband, though. I don’t want to get punched when I give you my number.” He pulled a napkin from the dispenser and stretched across the aisle to the next table, where the waitress had quietly left the check at some point. Probably while he was hiding behind the outline of Morrissey on his shirt. As he reached, his t-shirt hitched up. There was a tattoo around his side, words from an old song, a few of them showing.

‘-- and if you want to stay for a little bit, rest your aching limbs for a little bit--’

Brian came back and uncapped the pen. He wrote down his name and number. Then he retraced the last two digits in case they were hard to read. As an afterthought, he wrote down the name of the record store where he worked, Tracks. Alright, that was way too eager, he thought, but scratching it out would be stupid. He started to hand Valerie the napkin and then froze, letting the napkin flap in the air.

“Just be nice. If you don’t want this, you can spit some gum in it, much later, after I’m gone. You do want it, though.” He got up the gumption to hold her eye contact. “I don’t know if you’re on the fence, but...”

[valerie_vause]

Valerie had to admit that she enjoyed the banter with him, it flowed easily. Since he’d sat down she’d almost forgotten what she was. Then he said something that made her blink. While he reached for his bill she sat there a little stunned, a mixture of apprehension and excitement swirled in her stomach. The prospect of finishing her food had suddenly gone out the window. As a rule of thumb relationships were never really encouraged. It made secrets harder to keep. Tell that to your eyes, she thought, as her gaze drifted from his face to the rising material of his shirt. A sliver of skin exposed for her, then an inch or so more to reveal words that had been inked into his skin.

Lips parted as the tip of her tongue ran across her top teeth and she heard herself murmur, “Before you the night is beckoning.” How fitting. Valerie had always enjoyed the song by Pink Floyd, for she felt that it spoke to her privately. Good music had a way of doing that, but would he really want to see her again if he knew just how much the night truly did beckon her, that creatures didn’t just crawl but had a tendency to run? There was no way to be sure. Valerie certainly couldn’t tell him, he’d think she was a lunatic.

The urge to bolt from the diner threatened to take hold when he began to pass the napkin over, the breath stilled in her lungs when it stopped midway. Conflicted didn’t begin to cover it. Valerie worried her bottom lip between her teeth as he spoke. When their eyes met she swallowed, unable to look away. Maybe his statement helped. Inside she knew she wanted it, otherwise the urge to run off wouldn’t have crossed her mind, and sitting on the fence wouldn’t help.

The decision was impulsive. Valerie reached for the napkin and plucked it from his hand with care not to tear it. “Well if I was... I’m not now.” She said softly, almost bashful as she finally looked away to study what he’d written down. She grinned before she could stop it and let out a sigh that sounded entirely too happy. “So should I be worried about how many napkins are out there in other women’s hands? I heard on good authority that they get hot for guys who play keyboard.”

[brian_campo]

’And you know you can’t delay.’

“None I care about anymore.”

Brian straightened his spine and ran his hands over his denim-clad thighs. Were his palms sweating? Which reminded him that lately he didn’t trust his hands. He hadn’t thought about it since he sat down. It was idiotic to give a girl his number when he wasn’t 100% positive he was sane or safe. What if it happened in front of her? What was he going to do, blame the wind?
But he wasn’t going to walk away and forget about a pretty girl who could quote a rare Pink Floyd song to him. He wasn’t sure he deserved for Valerie to call, but god or whoever was in control could sort that out.

“You should stop by the store, next time you’re the city. I’m going to make you that mix tape. I’ll leave it at the counter in case I’m not working.”

[valerie_vause]

Good to know. Valerie thought, since her tongue refused to cooperate. Lust crazed teenager she was not, but she liked him, the blood rushing through her veins confirmed it. Everyone had needs, everyone experienced the longing for contact, the desire to be desired, to be held, caressed, whispered too. Only she wasn’t meant to let it get in the way. The blonde shook her head as if that would clear her thoughts and tried to rationalize it. So she had his number, it didn’t mean she was going to rush him to one of the drive through chapels in Vegas, a date would not kill her. Rather, she hoped it wouldn’t kill him. Besides, what did she have to worry about when those who really knew her were back in Britain? She was twenty-one years old, she could see him if she wanted. It wouldn’t compromise her duty. Right?

Valerie smiled at the notion of getting a mix tape from Brian, it was silly really how it sparked nervous butterflies in her stomach. “I go to UNLV so I’m sure I’ll be able to find the place, I get the feeling it’s popular what with all the music there. I’ll just have to remember to bring my walkman with me.”

[brian_campo]

“Alright, cool.”

His knee was jumping under the table, his right heel making little tapping sounds on the gritty floor. Brian pushed the black mop of hair off his forehead and stood up. He reached behind his back and picked up both of their tabs. He slid them in his hip pocket. “I gotta get back. I’ve got band practice and the drive’s gonna take an hour. Um…” He decided to stick out his hand for a shake. It was a bad excuse to touch her.

“I’m glad I didn’t have enough ketchup.”

[valerie_vause]

Green eyes had been watching the foot beneath the table tap out it’s own rhythm until he stood up and Valerie followed him with her gaze. Blonde hair freed itself from behind her ear as she nodded, the drive out of Searchlight was long enough but it could suck during the day with such heat and no shade. Like driving inside a roasting tin, basting in your own sweat. When he stuck his hand out Valerie swallowed back the amusement and settled for a quirk of lips as she got to her feet.

Did she make him nervous, or did her imagination get the better of her? Valerie took his hand in hers and shook it the way you would when sealing a deal. Firm, but by no means vice like. Not because she felt awkward, so much as a little out of her depth.

“I’m glad you copied my order.” She said with humor, her thumb brushed across his gently just to feel his skin and then she took her hand back. “If you’d gotten a coffee we might never have talked.” Now that her hand was free she didn’t know what to do with it, so stuck it in her jeans pocket. The other brushed non existent fluff from her pants leg as she added, “It was nice to meet you, Brian. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

[brian_campo]

That thumb…

Girls could do a lot with a little. One touch and you were imagining her thumb on your mouth, on your stomach, in your waistband.

Quick, think about ice. Old ladies. Captain Kangaroo.

His hand was buzzing. Actually, now both of them were. Oh no. He tucked his fingers into fists and tried to spit out a coherent sentence. “Yeah, I hope so.” He took a step backwards and bumped into a chair. Its legs squawked on the tile floor. That’s embarrassing. On autopilot, he reached out to nudge it aside. The chair shot under the table. He wasn’t completely sure his skin made contact. Over by the fountain drinks, a tower of cups cascaded and bounced across the counter top.

“So I’ll see you around.” He grabbed his sunglasses and put them on. Then he crammed his hands in his pockets and made for the exit.

[valerie_vause]

Valerie could understand embarrassment, she could even understand the urge to run given that she’d briefly experienced it herself. What she struggled with was why. One minute they were standing together and the next he was practically moonwalking into chairs to get away from her. Green eyes narrowed as she frowned in his direction, only to widen as a chair shot under a table. Cups were next to go, clattering and rolling off the counter to get in the waitresses way. Did that really just happen or did the pie come laced with LSD? Customers had began to look around for the cause and Valerie felt her stomach knot a little as she watched it hurry for the door.

“Hey wait!” She called out over the murmurs and side stepped half a dozen cups to get to the door. It shut just before she reached it, and she pulled it open to step outside, face screwed up from the sun that glared down at her.

When she caught sight of him on the street she hurried to catch up but hadn’t thought of anything to say other than, “Hey, what was that back there?” Valerie knew better than to doubt herself, she knew what she had seen had been real. Then it hit her, the question she’d asked herself when they’d first started talking. “Does this have something to do with why you were in Searchlight?”

Valerie lifted her hands up since she held no white flag; her intention wasn’t to grill him like a criminal. “I’m not judging I’m just...” She paused, chewed the inside of her lip and shrugged. She didn’t get any bad vibes from him, nothing about him set her instincts on edge the way a demon would. “I could try to help, if you wanted.”

[brian_campo]

Keep walking. Pretend you didn’t hear her.

Bro, if you do that, you’ll never see this girl again.

Why did it matter? She was pretty, yeah, and funny, and when she blushed he wanted to reach over and feel the heat on her cheeks. But just a girl, right?

A girl he already liked well enough to make him trip over his feet. So no, not really.

Shit.

He stopped on the other side of the street and slowly pivoted to face her. The sun was too bright, even with his shades on. He looked away. “I don’t know.” His shoulders bobbed. “I don’t know what it was.” Not a total cop-out. He didn’t know. “Audition for circus side show? I’m just… I’m really hoping you can chalk that up to freak accident and let me off the hook.”

[valerie_vause]

While Valerie heard what he said she couldn’t help but listen more to his posture than the actual words. Look at him, she thought, utterly dejected. The blonde didn’t attempt to cross the street to reach him, she sensed it would be the wrong move. Instead she answered honestly, “I could say that I’ll forget it but I know me and I won't.”

She bit her lip and shrugged. Both arms lifted to level with her head and she turned her palms skyward. “You’re not Atlas, Brian, the weight of the world doesn’t have to crush down on your shoulders alone. I’m not going to push, just... If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

[brian_campo]

He was too busy trying to escape to notice she had watched him do it, which meant it was real. He was too busy to notice that Valerie wasn’t freaking out. All that would hit him later.

“Talk about the fact that I just pulled a Carrie in there? In front of you?” He laughed under his breath. “Nah, I think I’ll pass. At least today. Can you give me that?”

Just go back to taking my number, and I’ll make you that mix tape, and you’ll listen to it and know I’m not a dirt bag.

He was going to make it tonight. After practice, he would set up his tape deck and sit on the scuffed up hardwood floor. He would stay up until 4 a.m. digging through his favorite albums until he found songs he thought she’d like. He would wallow in denial a while longer, pretend he was just a wannabe rock star trying to charm his way into scoring.

[valerie_vause]

Whatever Brian was going through she could see it taking it’s toll on him in that moment. Valerie didn’t know him well enough to try and comfort him beyond knowing that she actually wanted too. So she did the only thing she could do and nodded to him. “Sure.” She called back, “Take all the time you need.” If the shoe were on the other foot and he’d seen her at night, doing what she did best, she’d want space to think things over, to decide if she could or would open up. Maybe it was easier for her to deal with, she knew things that most normal people never would. She also knew how scary it could be at first, entering the true reality of what the world held.

Valerie turned to walk away, but paused to glance back at him, “I’ll see you later.” She said, hoping that he could tell she meant it. Then again, maybe he’d decide that forgetting her would be better. Either way the blonde understood, but it was his choice to make, not hers.

By the time she walked back into the diner the place had been put back to order. The cups were in the back being washed and the waitresses were wandering about with food. It wasn’t until she asked for her bill that she found out he’d already paid. Valerie shook her head but it didn’t dislodge the smile.