One cup of tea turned into two pots shared between them. To begin with, neither of them talked much. Mai was consumed with her tea, letting the warmth and subtle flavour calm her. Oliver had located yet another book and buried his nose in it.
"So how big is infinity?" Mai asked, reading the title.
"I haven't got to that chapter yet. This chapter regards imaginary numbers," Oliver replied.
"I never got imaginary numbers. Like I got how to use them and stuff, but it's not like they were actually imaginary. Like they were just different, you know?" Mai mused.
"Yes, the archaic naming is somewhat problematic to understanding," Oliver agreed. "You studied mathematics?"
"Only until A level. I needed it for my degree."
"What did you study?"
"Criminology and Psychology," Mai said. "My job now is primarily dealing with suspects with mental health conditions. Sometimes I just act as an advisory to the interrogator, or sometimes I takeover, depending on severity."
Oliver nodded, and returned to his book.
"Are you going to buy that?" Mai asked.
"Probably not, I will have finished it by the time we've finished our tea," Oliver replied.
"This isn't a library."
"But why would I buy a book that I have finished?"
"To support the writer?" Mai suggested. "If not you, who?"
"If not now, when…" Oliver finished the quote. "Are you jewish?"
"Huh?"
"That quote is from Hillel the Elder, a jewish figure," Oliver said.
"Oh, no… No, I'm not jewish. I read the quote on a motivational tumblr blog and I like it."
"Tumblr?"
"It's a blogging platform."
"Yes, I think I've heard of it," Oliver murmured. "I think Gene has one, I think he uses it for cat videos."
"I can believe it," Mai replied with a laugh. "Cat videos are the basis for the internet."
"Gene shares that opinion it seems. I personally find it more useful for communicating and researching."
Mai frowned.
"So you don't want cat videos? Like at all?"
"No."
"What about puppy videos?"
"No."
"What about the ones where dogs protect small children?"
"No."
"Or the ones where pets greet people coming back after a long time?"
"No."
Mai blinked several times, then pinched her arm.
"You've never seen these?"
"That's what I just said, isn't it?"
Mai shook her head in disbelief.
"But they're so cute."
Oliver frowned and downed his book.
"And this provides you with some kind of relief?"
"It's just a nice distraction from my job, you know? Seeing something so innocent and pure. Young kittens struggle to walk or climb on things and..."
Mai smiled, oblivious to Oliver's stares.
"Forget my brother, I am going to head home."
Mai started and frowned.
"Oh."
"Apologies for the communication errors," Oliver said.
He walked away, book still in hand. Mai watched him head to the checkout where he paid for it. Oliver gave a slight nod in her direction as he left.
Oliver headed straight for home, walking the same route he had come but at a much slower pace. A warm feeling had settled in his chest and he did not like it.
When he reached his and Gene's shared flat, he locked himself in his room and pulled up his computer. He opened up a browser and loaded YouTube.
Cat videos
Oliver clicked the first link and watched with a vested interest. Yet his brows furrowed. Why was a cat drinking water from a tap funny? Or a cat fighting with a dog?
He tried again.
Kitten videos
He picked the first one, which consisted of pathetically small kittens vying for attention. He did not want to use the word 'cute' but could not think of another appropriate term.
A knock on the door startled Oliver.
"What do you want?"
"Why is your door locked?" Gene's voice called back. "Are you masturbating?"
"I am not dignifying that with an answer."
Oliver slid his chair over and unlocked the door. Gene entered and plopped down on the bed.
"Why are you watching kitten videos?"
"Apparently they are the basis for the internet and I had yet to experience them."
"I swear I told you that ages ago," Gene muttered.
"And?"
"And what did Mai say to convince you to actually look at them?"
"Nothing. But repeated assurance—"
"Oh my, you actually like her, don't you?" Gene insisted.
"No—"
"You do! You're blushing!"
"No, I'm not."
Gene pulled Oliver's chair so that it was in front of the full length mirror on the back of the door.
"Look at your face. You are blushing."
Oliver looked and scowled. His cheeks had betrayed him.
"It's warm in here," he said quickly.
"Give it up, Noll," Gene teased. "It's okay to like someone. Mai's nice!"
"Who told you that? Yasuhara? You were getting very close," Oliver said.
"Don't think you can turn this around on me. He's taking me to dinner on Monday and I am thrilled about that so teasing is not going to work." Oliver scowled again. "So are you going to ask her out?"
"No."
"Why not?" Gene asked.
"Because she won't say 'yes'. I treated her awfully. I would not blame her in the slightest."
Oliver rolled his chair back to his desk and exited YouTube.
"But she knows now that you were just being an arse for the sake of it. Say you want to make it up to her by taking her on a proper date!" Gene leant forwards on the bed. "What's the worst that happens? She says 'no'? You've got to at least try."
"No, I don't."
Gene sighed.
"If you don't try, I'll tell Mum the full story."
Oliver sent a look that could have frozen the earth's core in Gene's direction.
"Just something to think about," Gene mumbled as he stood up and left the room.
Oliver did not say anything. He reopened his browser and loaded Facebook. He took him all of twenty seconds to find Mai. He clicked the 'message' button and let his fingers hover over the keyboard.
Hi.
He grimaced and deleted it.
Hello.
"No."
He deleted that too.
Hey Mai, thank you for having tea with me today.
And again, he deleted it. Oliver let his head droop down onto the desk.
Hi Mai, I know I have no right to ask this, but would you give me another chance at a first date?
Oliver looked at the words on his screen, hated them, and his send anyway.
He sat back in his chair with a groan, before getting up. Dinner. He needed to do something. He could cook. Or something.
And maybe later, he would look into getting a cat.
Author's note: I failed to update yesterday but I finished this today so woop!
