I like legs.
And short chapter is short.
Chapter 3.
"Uh, h-hello. This is Gru. We were speaking at the coffee shop. T-this is Wren, yes?"
"Why yes, this is Wren. I'm flattered that you were able to read my name off the card I gave you." Her tone came off as very mocking, though to herself it sounded playful.
"Well, yes…I mean, that is to say...yes, I did. Uh…yes." He paused, unsure of what to say next. The silence felt heavy.
Wren rolled her eyes. It's obvious this guy has no idea how to handle this. If I want to get anywhere, I'm going to have to do all the work. She thought to herself while the stillness continued. Silver tilted his head and blinked slowly at her, wondering what was going on. She finally spoke. "It's great to hear from you! I was worried you wouldn't call."
"But of course I was going to call. I was just uh, busy." He replied stupidly.
Busy? You're so busy you call me within three hours of meeting me. She tapped her fingertips on the arm of the couch. "Well I'm so glad you were able to work in some time for me." She said as her syrupy sweet tone returned. "Maybe if you could make more time, we could hang out?"
"I-I was thinking the same, actually." He answered, his voice betraying how nervous he was. "That is…I was hoping…that uh…it might be nice to…"
Wren's fingers moved faster as she grew more impatient. JUST SPIT IT OUT! She screamed in her head while trying to keep her temper from rising. "Yes?" She spoke carefully, trying to keep her tone level.
"Dinner and a movie." He spat out quickly. "That would be nice, yes? I mean, if you don't want to I am understanding completely."
"I would love to!" She closed her eyes and brought her finger to her mouth, pretending to gag. "How about tonight? I'm free around seven. We could meet at the coffee shop." She continued, hoping to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
"The coffee shop. The place where we were earlier today. We met there. I know where that is. The coffee shop at seven. We will have dinner and a movie…" Gru rambled anxiously.
"Yeah. I'll see you there." Wren hung up the phone and tossed it onto the other end of the couch. "Stupid prat. It's like he's never talked to a woman before." She lifted her arms over her head and stretched them. "And now I have to deal with him all night."
"What was that all about? That almost sounded like… Oh my piston gaskets! R-, I mean, Wren! You've got a date! My little sister has a date!" Silver twirled around the apartment like a ballet dancer. Wren quietly watched him, her expression clarifying how annoyed she was. "Oooh! Was that the business you were here for? Do you have a boyfriend? OH THAT'S JUST SO WONDERFUL!" He pranced over to the couch and lifted her into the air rather easily; forgetting that she demanded he never touch her.
"Put me down, you childish oaf! I said put me down! It is NOT a date, and I DO NOT have a boyfriend!" She wriggled out of his grasp and fell to the floor.
"That sure sounded like date plans to me." He responded, before realizing his sister was on the floor. "Sis! Are you okay?" Silver bent down, reaching his arm out to help her up. She knocked his hand away aggressively, and stood up, putting her hands on her hips.
"I REPEAT: This is purely business and I don't need you getting in the way!" She snapped and glared at him.
"Business. Got it." He winked at her, causing her temper to rise.
"Dammit Silver! Why couldn't you have died at birth?"
He turned his back to her and moved toward the kitchen. "Well if you aren't meeting your 'business partner' until seven, that means you can have lunch with meeeeeee – your loving brother!" He skipped over to the cupboard and searched through it. He squealed loudly, making Wren cringe. "Oh Em Gee! I know just what to make for our reunion lunch! We are going to have…" He paused, taking in a deep breath, before screaming out: "GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES SHAPED LIKE DINOSAURS!"
Wren groaned heavily. "I cannot deal with this crap." She mumbled to herself while digging through her bag on the couch. Suddenly, the orange cat jumped onto the back of the couch, startling her.
"Mrwer." He squeaked, blinking at the newcomer.
"Just great. He has a cat." She glared at the fuzzy animal. "I hate cats."
Arthur stuck his nose in the air, flipping his tail about. He immediately disliked this woman.
"Stop beating your tail in my face!"
The cat didn't listen. He continued to wave his tail towards her, even faster than before. He took pleasure in knowing the human greatly disliked it.
"Fine. Two can play at this game." Wren pulled what looked like a small purple handgun out of her bag. The cat's eyes grew wide while looking at it. The gun had smooth sides that shone brightly, with a black top and a purple belly. Cats love shiny things. Arthur was no different. He stared at it with great interest. "Oh, you like this, huh?" She waved the gun slowly back and forth in front of him. His furry orange head followed it's every move.
"Take this!" She pulled the trigger. A suction dart flew out of the barrel and hit the cat in the face. He bolted off the couch and hastily ran into the next room. The woman laughed joyfully. "Gotcha."
"Are you picking on Arthur?" Silver called from the kitchen. "Don't! He doesn't like it!"
"Shut up, I'm just playing around!" She snapped back. Her eyes wondered around the room, looking for something else to shoot. They fell upon a framed photograph hanging on the wall. In this photo, Silver stood tall, smiling happily and hugging Arthur to him closely. The cat, on the other hand, looked dejected.
"Did you seriously frame a picture of yourself and your dumb cat?" She tilted her head in his direction as she spoke, but never took her eyes off the photo.
"I thought it was cute! He's family, after all!" He said as he flipped over the sandwich that was cooking on the stove. "Ooh! I have to tell you about the time Arthur and I discovered that it's impossible to cook with battery acid! See, everything was working fine at first. It was just another day, and I was running out of ideas for my next experiment-"
"I really hate you." Wren grumbled and shot her gun, aiming for the picture. A suction dart hit Silver squarely in the head. She grinned to herself. "Heh. Gotcha."
The woman looked at her tiny silver wrist watch. It read five minutes before seven. She turned to the window of the coffee shop that stood behind her and surveyed the reflection. She was wearing a short, tight black dress with small dark high heels, and carried a small velvet purse. Her pale blonde hair was pulled up into an attractive bun, and her face was decorated in light silver makeup. "Perfect." She smiled and faced the empty street. "Isn't very punctual, is he?"
Minutes ticked by. Car after car drove past the shop. Wren shifted her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Gotta focus… I must get this moron to trust me. Whatever it takes." She paused for a moment, and lowered her gaze to her thighs. "I wonder if I should show more leg? Men like legs."
At that moment, Gru's clunky metal car pulled into the parking lot. Smiling confidently she whispered, "I've got this." Her hand shot into the air as she waved at him.
The bald man climbed out of his car clumsily, holding a bouquet of bright red roses. He rushed over to where the beautiful woman was standing and shoved the flowers into her face. "I am here. These are for you. I am sorry for being late." His words were rushed and his cheeks were flushed.
"Oh, um…why thank you." Wren muttered while moving the bouquet out of her vision. She glanced at her date. He was dressed in a black pinstripe suit and he wore a goofy grin. She returned his grin, feeling incredibly awkward. "So uh, movie or dinner first?" She asked, trying not to think about this uneasy night that lay before her.
"I was thinking movie. It is starting soon." He replied hastily. "I found one you are sure to like."
"Oh?" She asked curiously. How could a man she briefly met this morning possibly know her taste in movies?
"Yes. They are calling it the 'Royal Journals.' Many women have been giving it very good reviews." He said, looking at her hopefully.
A chick flick? Seriously? Wren screamed in her head, but continued to wear her fake smile. "That sounds lovely. Good choice."
"Then let us go." Gru walked over to his car and opened the door to the passenger seat. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest, and prayed that she couldn't hear it. She was breathtakingly beautiful, but that only made her more nervous. I will do my best to astound her tonight! He vowed as she stepped into the car and softly closed the door.