She thinks it's been forever since she's been on a first date.

No, wait. Scratch that. She's pretty damn sure it's been forever since a - quote, unquote - "first date".

Duncan was all firsts. A sea of firsts. And with Logan, it was like being out with him and the gang in middle school -- only sans "the gang" and with some unprecedented, heavy-duty lip action in the backseat of his X-terra tossed in.

So, really, those never counted, right?

But Piz.
Oh, Piz.
Piz is new.
Piz is different.
Piz is something she hasn't had enough time to figure out.

And that makes her nervous. And Veronica Mars is not the kind to welcome anxiety with open arms.

She sits across from him, a dessert fondue between them, and he's going at it like she remembers Logan going at her throat on their "first date". Veronica bites into her chocolate-dipped pineapple and pretends to listen to him yammer on about guitars and picks and vinyl records. She doesn't understand, she doesn't want to understand and, honestly, she's not sure what she wants.

When Veronica looks up, looks at him, she sees him watching her. She swallows. "Oh." A beat, "...Uh. ...Wow?"

It's a futile attempt, really. Piz ducks his head and tries to chuckle, and Veronica feels like a ... well, really, only a slightly shamed person. She's not that broken up about it. If he were to storm out now, her heartstrings would barely pluck a note or three.

"I'm pretty much being an ass, right?"

Aaaaand she certainly can't say she was expecting that. Veronica tilts her head curiously, and Piz genuinely laughs this time around. "Here I am, going on about me, and there you are ... probably wishing I'd just enjoy a good piece of fruit fondue and shut up, right?"

"No, I--" Well, she cannot tell a lie. Her jaw snaps shut under his sudden stare.

"Okay. Favorite color."

Veronica blinks. "What?" He gestures at her, and she laughs a little. "I guess... green? I don't know."

Piz chortles and devours another strawberry, getting out around it, "It's not your Criminology final, Veronica. It's getting to know you. And green is good."

"Actually, that's one of our chapters," she states calmly, moving around a grape to dig out the last remaining strawberry. "'Getting to know you'. A lot of famous murderers like to get to know their victims, first. That way they can relate to them, making roping them in easier."

He's silent, and it's Veronica's turn to laugh aloud. "I'm kidding," she teases and takes a chunk out of her spiked fruit. "You're not of the serial killer variety, Piz."

His exhale of relief, for some reason, raises the hair on her arms and makes her smile around her fondue fork.

"That's a relief. I was worried I'd have to succumb to my inner urges there for a moment."