He had find it very odd that a restaurant offered magazines to their customers. What kind of restaurant offers magazines for leisure, he questioned to himself. Was this restaurant such a popular joint that the waiting time required periodicals to kill time? Was this a restaurant for the intellect? Or was this a particular restaurant who thought adding magazines to the fray would give it some class? Whatever choices it led to, he had decided to sit and find something that would catch his interest.
He wasn't a fan of reading. Not that he had a hard time with it, but it had never caught his attention. He had allowed the world of television and video games to be his guide in the world. In fact, Beast Boy couldn't remember the last time he had picked up a magazine. Maybe in the third grade? Fourth grade? Tenth grade? Unsure, because the tenth grade was the highest grade he went before dropping out of school. It wasn't that he was an idiot, academically, but it was the time when being a superhero distracted him from his studies.
His decision to withdraw from education created the decision that led to his fate. And one of the reasons why he was sitting in his restaurant.
Popular Mechanics was his decision to read. He flew through the pages like the wind, or better yet a fan. The images of cars, computers, robotics were more appealing to the eye than words. Words required him to think. Pictures were the way to go, he thought. He remembered his best friend Cyborg stating that pictures were worth more than a thousand words.
One, two, three, four...five pictures. So that makes over 5,000 words. Thanks Cy for making me feel smarterer with each look.
He put back the magazine in the center before picking up another article. He caught eye of a gentleman displaying a strange look. It was a look that was amongst the elite or anybody from the upper class. The snotty what-in-the-hell-are-you-doing-here type of look. Or, are-you-sure-you-are-not-mistaking-this-place-for-a-local-burger-joint type of look. Beast Boy did not pay it no mind. He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He often joked that he had exchanged for either a plastic spork or a pair of hands. He is a mutant, he had admitted.
He sat back on the chair as he was waiting patiently. Honestly, the restaurant was a bit fancy for his taste. He had never been to this restaurant before. The atmosphere of fancy embroidery, smooth jazz, clinking of glasses were not his cup of tea. The unwrapping of crinkled paper, sawdust, and hanging animal heads, as much it was to his chagrin, was his choice.
However, he did not pick this place. Someone had picked it for him. He was waiting for someone.
He tapped the seat with his fingers to kill time. Once again, the gentleman next to him gave him an odd look. Was the magazine flipping not enough, he wanted to tell the gentleman. Was it the fact that he was a green mutant with pointy ears, he wanted to tell gentleman. The type of clothes? His demeanor? Anything to get this noisy gentleman off of him, he thought. He wanted to give him a piece of his mind. He really did, but per instruction of his guest, no funny business.
He felt his Titan Alert buzzing in his pocket. He reached for it and saw that it was Robin. He put it on mute.
He must not know, he thought to himself.
Before leaving the tower, Beast Boy told his colleagues that he was going for a walk. When asked of his whereabouts, he concluded with "wherever the Lord takes me." Being a young adult, it shouldn't matter about his whereabouts or his actions. In his mind, he is a man first, superhero second.
However, he knew that Robin's calling was with good reason. Recently, he had been hearing rumors from different sources about an impending attack on the Titans. According to him, the attacks were going to be eminent to them all. Therefore, the Titans must stay on guard, he concluded.
The Titan Alert continued to ring until it stopped. Beast Boy sighed before returning it in his pocket. The sound of a hard shoe was approaching the green mutant. He looked up to see it was the host of the restaurant.
"Excuse me, sir," said the host. "I have received a call from your guest. She says that she is going to be a little late." The host caught the eye of one of the waiters to come into his direction. "However, she told me to make yourself at home in our V.I.P." His eyes told Beast Boy that he should stand. He did. "Right this way, sir," he said before turning around with the appointed waiter.
Beast Boy followed them as they entered the main dining area of the restaurant. The sounds of laughter and clinking of forks, knives, and glass filled the room. He watched as a live band was playing one of Kenny G's greatest hits. Every time Beast Boy made a direction, some of the customers were giving him a strange look. It was not the look of he was a green mutant, but the look of they were aware of his status. It is like they smell the stench of poor, he thought. Just for assurance, he grabbed his underarm to smell himself. He took a shower before arriving here. One of few showers he had in quite awhile. He knew he can make better choices, but all in time, he thought.
Once he passed through the wave of uncertainty from the crowd, he went through a red curtain that led to a hallway. In the hallway was five or six different rooms. Each room had a number on the door. The waiter and the host stopped at door numbered 5.
"Right this way," said the host as he followed them inside of the room.
As he stepped inside, Beast Boy was quite surprised. It was a huge contrast from the outside of the restaurant. The interior was a deep shade of purple and black, like flowers that were purposefully kept in darkness. The room had two love seats on the opposite sides. It had a table, but surrounded by round cushioned seats. There was a bottle of champagne on ice next to the table. Beast Boy saw the name, but he couldn't pronounce it since it was in French. If it were Spanish, he thought, then it would be easier. Then yet again, reading was not his forte, and that include Romance languages.
The host wavered his hand to Beast Boy to gesture him to take a seat. Beast Boy followed his order and sat at one of the love seats.
The host whispered in the waiter's ear. The waiter pulled out a remote from his pocket. He handed it to Beast Boy. "This remote has many buttons to use at your leisure," he said. "It includes the use of the television, the request of us, the vibrate mode of the love seats, and among other things. This should keep you comfortable before your guest arrives."
Flattered, Beast Boy responded with a thanks. "If you need anything," said the host. "Let us know."
"Okay," said Beast Boy.
The host and the waiter bowed before leaving the room, leaving Beast Boy to himself. Although this was an odd experience for him, but he enjoyed being pampered.
Having that kind of money to receive this kind of treatment works wonders, he said to himself before finding the button to turn on the television.
He eyed the bottle of champagne at the center of the table, but decided against it. He wasn't much of a drinker. He got tipsy if he left a half-filled bottle of grapefruit juice confined under his box. Especially if it got exposed to sunlight. He was grateful to see the small snacks of crackers and tofu, he was kind of hungry.
With a plate of crackers, he returned to the love seat where he find the television. The television appeared from the floor where it stopped in the center of the wall. He turned it on to find suitable programming. Meanwhile, he pressed another button to get the love seat to vibrate.
Caught up in the rapture of finger foods, television, and vibrating love seats, Beast Boy was feeling mellow.
A poor green mutant like me can get used to this, he thought to himself as he was flickering the remote.
A moment later, he heard the sound of the door opening. He turned off the television. From the reflection of the screen, he saw an image of a girl, better yet a woman. The sound of hard footsteps made its way toward his direction. His eyes were still staring at the reflection. Her blue eyes were clear and deep; it had reminded him of an ocean. Her hair was the purest of black. Her face looked like God himself assigned an artist to sculpt such beauty. The reflection was getting closer and closer until Beast Boy felt her warmth around him.
The finished product was of Madame Rouge.
She wrapped her arms around him. Beast Boy took a breath as he was caught in her scent. She smelled of lavender, not in a sense of perfume, but out of oil. He shivered as she pressed her nose behind his ear. He wanted to move, but inhibit him to do so. She used one of his hands to wrap around his chest. He coughed upon her touch.
"Vhere have you been hiding all of my life," questioned the woman. Her accent sounded of Eastern Europe. Although she claimed the nation of France, but her accent and personality screamed Russia or Ukraine, he concluded. However, he was not going to tell him that.
'Vere you followed," asked the woman again. She kissed the back of his neck.
"I wasn't," concluded Beast Boy.
"Good," she purred. She let go of him and went around the couch where she sat beside him.
"Where you followed," questioned Beast Boy.
She shook her head before grabbing one of Beast Boy's crackers. "I vasn't," she said. "If they did, then there vas going to be hell to pay." She took a bite, never leaving his sight.
Beast Boy began blushing. She finished the cracker before resting her feet on the couch. She placed her legs on top of Beast Boy. His face reddened, which excited her.
"Did you order anything vhile you vaited for me, dear," she said. "I vouldn't be mad it you didn't."
He shook his head. "I don't know anything about this place, Madame." He said with a tone of honesty. "I decided to wait on you until you'd arrived."
"Poor child," she said while stroking his cheek. "Sorry for not telling you about this place. It is one of my getaway spots from the others."
He smiled. "That is fine, Madame. I think I should make an effort to try."
She smiled. "Aren't you sweet, child." She lied back on the love seat. "You know you can call me Laura."
Hearing that was making him blush. "I am not sure about that yet, Madame Rogue."
She chuckled when hearing that. "In time, in time."
Madame Rouge took the remote from his hands. She was twirling his hair as she requested for the waiter to come with their orders.
Once again, a poor green mutant like me can get used to this, Beast Boy thought to himself.