Dinner Date for All
When I'm feeling blue and lonely,
All I have to do is think of you,
We had just one night,
But it lingers on and on and on,
You gave your love to me softly.
'You Gave Your Love To Me Softly' by Weezer.
Bec nervously pawed through her wardrobe, trying to a find a dress to wear for tonight. She always found that whenever she needed a particular piece of clothing she could never find it. The full wardrobe had never looked so empty and shabby. Bec picked up one dress and rejected it as soon as she picked it up, throwing it onto the ever growing 'No' pile.
She picked up a dark blue strappy dress and placed it on the 'maybe' pile. She cursed herself for rashly agreeing to go tonight, and groaned as she looked into the mirror. Her grey eyes were nearly disappearing into her forehead, and the eye bags complete with dark circles looked like two hollows in her face. To top it all off, her shoulder length red hair looked like a haystack. So much for natural beauty.
She scrutinised a dark purple dress, and threw it down on the 'No' pile after a moments thought, the dress reminded her of a prune or a magician. Not exactly the combo she'd want to look like while eating a sumptuous meal at Venice Square. They might mistake her for a street entertainer.
Her green silk, which had stood her good stead for so long was cast onto the fateful pile, after she had come to the realisation that it made her look like a clump of celery. The red creation with the sweeping skirt, clashed with her hair and made her look like a bar singer. Bec flopped down dejectedly on the bed, her hair and make up not done, and her dress still unpicked. She had mainly decided to show that Spanish Amigo she was no pushover, and that she could breeze into dates nonchalantly and not give a shit.
But she was giving a shit. Bec considered phoning Jill and telling her she was sick, but dismissed the idea as soon as she made it, she couldn't let such a good friend down because she felt scared and annoyed. Jill had obviously been working in her best interests, inviting her along so that she didn't feel like a complete wallflower. Bec could see she had deliberately set her up for a date with another guy, and she appreciated it, but it only reminded herself about whom she really was.
A silly little girl who couldn't find a date.
Bec slumped against her bed, and massaged her temples with her hands. She had to be set up on a date with a poor unsuspecting guy, she was that pathetic. What if he turned out to be even more dorky than Becca herself? What if he invited her back to look at his bug collection? Bec was considering these scenarios fearfully, and then abruptly forgot them as she knew Jill wouldn't do that to her. She was too good a friend.
Or would she?
Bec was about to start bouncing up and down on her bed convulsively screaming when she pulled herself together.
'You got yourself into this mess, and your going to follow it through. Throw off your damn insecurities and have fun tonight, If worse comes to worse; you can always fake sickness, this is a simple date, you've face off with worst monsters and stuff like this' Bec told herself strictly. She had pulled herself together, and now she could feel the confidence growing inside her.
Bec grinned confidently at herself and whisked into her wardrobe and began to sort through dresses, humming happily. She decided that she couldn't get much out of her haystack hair, so she opted to tease the curls out of her hair. She adjusted her rollers, and began to apply her make up. She streaked her eyelids with eyeliner, and turned on her radio and started to belt out songs along with the radio.
She grabbed her hairbrush, tilted her head and gave her best performance.
'LUCKY THAT MY BREASTS ARE SMALL AND HUMBLE, SO YOU DON'T CONFUSE THEM WITH MOUNTAINS!!!!!!!!!!!' she belted out, rocking her head back, she was about to continue when a shout of laughter interrupted her.
She quickly turned away from her mirror and squealed when she saw Chris and Jill dressed immaculately and doubling over with laughter at her performance. Bec gave a high-pitched squeal and Chris and Jill laughed harder, Chris smacking his fists against the walls and Jill trying hard not let the tears of mirth spill down her cheeks.
Bec turned off the radio and stood stupidly in front of them, cringing as she remembered her hair curlers still twined in her hair, and her spidery eyeliner clinging to her eyes.
Chris and Jill finally recovered and sat on her bed, grinning broadly.
'Lemme call Jive and tell em' we've gotta new Britney Spears!' cracked Chris, his boyish features aglow with mirth.
'That's enough to drive anyone insane!' giggled Jill. Bec still stood there, struck dumb with her mouth wide open. Chris walked up to her and gently held her chin and closed her mouth.
'Can't let the flies in' he chuckled, patting her shoulders. He closely inspected her face and Bec drew back slightly. 'Bec, we're going for dinner, not trick or treating'.
She went bright crimson underneath her carefully applied foundation.
Jill stood next to Chris and gave her a friendly smile.
'Don't mind Chris, his biggest shock was when he found me singing my heart out in the shower' she drawled.
'And I thought the shower was malfunctioning again' he said softly, and both of them collapsed into another laughing fit, and when they had recovered Bec looked in the mirror and saw that her eyeliner had run all down her face. She placed her hands on her heart and struck a dramatic pose.
'Jack, I'll never let go!' she crooned, her hands clutched to her heart.
Chris chuckled and pushed a giggling Jill of his middle, and dusted off his Tux pants. Jill walked up to Bec and carefully wiped away the offending black eyeliner.
'Do we have to leave now?' asked Bec frantically, her hand flying up to her hair and a despairing glance at her wardrobe.
'No, don't worry Bec. Not for another forty minutes, we came over early to see if you were still sane' reassured Jill.
'And our observations have proved you've gone off ya nut' grinned Chris.
All three of them tittered and Jill placed her hand on Bec's shoulders.
'I take it you need a little help?' she asked noting Bec's hair and face.
'A little is an understatement' groaned Bec.
'I'll leave you to transform Bec, I'll phone and check the reservations one last time' said Chris, nodding at both of them.
Jill sat Bec down on the bed and pawed through her wardrobe to find her a dress and get her ready.
Carlos was just stepping out of the shower when he heard his doorbell ring. He scrabbled around for his towel, and lightly wrapping it around him, he walked down the stairs to answer the door.
He opened it to find his date standing on his doorstep, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He stepped aside to let her in, and once inside Phoenix teasingly looped her arms around his neck.
'I thought answering the door nearly naked was against the law' she teased, running her light fingers down his biceps. Carlos looped her arms around her slim waist and teasingly puffed his lips out.
'Now we're gonna have none of that behavior Missy' he said, cupping her cheek with one hand and gently dropping kisses along her neck. He inhaled a deep breath of her sweetly scented skin, and rested his head in the curve of her neck, brushing his head against the silky red tendrils of red hair. She raised her head and he saw her tilt her head and her lips were about to brush his when he placed his finger on his lips.
'Naughty Missy' he crooned, he slid his hands down her waist and around to the edge of her sleek black tube top. They traveled along the edge until he placed them up in her top and caressed the soft skin. Phoenix shut her eyes slightly and Carlos kissed her lips lightly and fully. He felt a trill of energy surge through him at touch of her lips and he drew back to look at her face more fully.
The dark brown eyes were twinkling with happiness and her smooth skin shone healthily from the sun, and her dark red hair was lying sleekly down her back. Her pretty full lips were so near, and he half moved into kiss her again, when he felt a slight shudder as they reminded him of someone he wasn't so sure about. He untangled himself from Phoenix and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, pasting a fake coy grin to his face.
'Do you mind waiting down here? I'll quickly dress' he said, trying to get his head together.
'Sure, and if you take too long, I might have to help ya' she crooned, winking at him.
'You mean I'll have to help you Undress?' questioned Carlos, raising one eyebrow suggestively and nodding in her direction. Phoenix blushed sweetly and covered her cheeks and gave him a slight grin.
Carlos turned and walked upstairs quickly, and started to dress. He pulled on the dark blue shirt and black tie tux he had picked for tonight, and he combed his hair into it's style, trying to gather his thoughts for the third time this day.
'Geez, twice today I have drawn away from kissing a girl' he mused, while tying his tie. He really needed to figure out whom he wanted. He couldn't string Phoenix along, but he needed to decide whom he wanted, as Bec might not be a free agent after tonight.
Carlos lingered while smoothing down his hair, mulling over the earlier events. Becca was going out to dinner with Chris, Jill and another guy. Jill had obviously set it up, and he knew Jill would only pick out the best suitor for Bec. Carlos tried to shake all thoughts of Becca away from his mind, but the nagging feeling remained there.
'So what if Bec gets a guy? It's the best thing, and everything would be rounded off nicely, and you have Phoenix as well' he told himself, thinking of the girl waiting downstairs for him. Bec's guy would probably be way better than him. But was that a good thing?
Carlos was about to start tying up his tie again, when he shook himself and pulled on his jacket, and grabbed the bouquet of red and white roses from the mantelpiece.
'Get your ass down there, or Phoenix will think you've gone to the bathroom and fallen in' he told himself, grasping the flowers and walking downstairs.
He walked into the living room and stood in front of Phoenix, who looked him up and down and gave a coy smile, which made him take him in breath quickly. There he was, upstairs contemplating dating Becky and bow being bowled over by a slight movement from another girl. Talk about hormones. Flipping from one red haired goddess to another….
He handed her the roses, and smiled at him, receiving them. Phoenix looked over them and smelt them.
'They're beautiful' she said softly, she pecked Carlos's cheek and looked at him shyly. Carlos caught hold of her hand, and together they walked out to his car. Carlos open the door for her and as she stepped in she asked him a question.
'Where exactly are we going?' she asked, fastening her seat belt.
'The Venice Square' said Carlos, reversing out of the drive.
Bec sat in the back seat, watching the scenery go past. She shifted her feet uncomfortably in her seldom worn high heels, and carefully brushed her hair away from her neck so as not to disturb Jill's handiwork.
Chris was intently driving, and Jill was looking out of the window like Bec was, and the silence in the car was comfortable. Companionable.
Bec thanked her Guardian Angel that even though it was one of her most embarrassing experiences, Chris and Jill had arrived early. If they hadn't come, she might have ended up going out to dinner looking like a Drag Queen. Jill had made her look presentable, which better than Bec's past efforts.
Sure, the high heels were uncomfortable, her head felt strange being piled with red curls that were not normally there, and her eyes were stinging from the carefully applied white eyeliner, and her dress itched, but it was the small price to pay for not looking like something out of the Rocky Horror Show.
Her dress had surprised her. Jill had picked out the little black number she'd bought while shopping with Claire and Jill, the dress she had despised while in the shop, but now while wearing it, she had to admit it looked good on her. Her small curls that were falling to her shoulders, and her carefully applied make up made her look more like a film star than a little girl playing dress up. She didn't care if she didn't impress this other guy, she had already achieved something this evening.
Jill, the master of cosmetics had faded her ruddy, burned skin and it looked more golden brown than it did angry red. The angry red that had clashed with her hair was now complimenting it, making it glint gold and copper. Becca mentally thanked Jill's expertise.
Chris parked the car, in the restaurant's lot, and Becca opened her door and daintily swung her legs out. Chris helped her out, understanding her walking impediment, and Jill led them to the entrance. A smiling young man, with olive skin and brown hair greeted them at the door, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt.
'Redfield-Chambers-King?' he queried, looking at them.
'Yes, that's us' said Jill, nodding.
'Mr King has yet to arrive, but I will seat you now' he said kindly, leading them around the immaculate tables where other people were already partaking of the finest Italian Cuisine. Becca took in the decorated walls, adorned with Italian paintings and wine bottles, and statuettes. Another point to Jill, she had sure picked a nice place.
The charming waiter seated them at a four-seater table, and left them, assuring them to escort Mr King when he arrived. Jill thanked him and turned to the others.
'You like the place?' she asked, gesturing the restaurant that was bustling with activity.
'Perfect. Great choice, babe' agreed Chris, smiling.
'Yeah, this is great. Thanks Jill' said Bec appreciatively.
Bec was flipping through the menu when she realised her bladder was at breaking point. She excused herself from the table and when the ladies' room. Whenever she was nervous, she always needed the bathroom. She had been expecting it to happen.
She walked into the lavishly decorated bathrooms, which had a plush velvet sofa and wall hangings of embroided silk hung up the walls. Bec admired the tasteful colours and scheme. She relieved herself and washed her hands, and dried them on a patterned flannel from a rack nailed to the wall. She arranged a curl and wiped off a smudge from her face and walked out back to her table.
As she neared the table, there was another man sitting opposite her place, she couldn't see his face as he was facing away from her. She could make out blond hair and a dark blue shirt. She edged nearer and Chris saw her walking up.
'This is Becca, Jack' he said gesturing to Becca. Jack turned around and Bec took in his blue eyes and spiky blond hair, and the finely chiselled features. Had Brad Pitt just walked in and sat opposite her?
'Hey' she said smiling slightly at him, and gave he her a smile back. She sat down at her place opposite him and felt her smile creep up her features, and he nodded towards her.
'So Jack, your in the Sniper group?' asked Chris as they looked through the menus.
'Yeah, I work in the marksmanship course' said Jack. Becca listened to the New York accent in his voice.
'Watch it Jack, Chris is the best marksman in the Alpha team' said Jill, laughing.
'Believe me, I wouldn't dare offend ya, the thought of you pursuing me with a shotgun is enough to scare me!' chuckled Jack, making them laugh.
'Then again, seeing Chris first thing in the morning is a pretty bad thought' put in Becca, her quip was received with laughter.
Chris and Jill began to talk to eachother which was a signal for Jack and Bec 'to get to know each other' Bec started to panic, as she felt at a loss for words. Jack sensed this and started off the conversation.
'So you're a STARs Bravo team member?' he asked tentatively, absently fiddling with his napkin. Bec half smiled to herself, glad to see he was almost as nervous as she was.
'STARs Alpha' she corrected him, grinning at his surprise. She liked freaking members of the RPD out, and she usually got more respect for it.
As she had predicted, Jack did a double take and gave her an impressed look. A low whistle escaped from him. Bingo.
'It's mainly from my past experiences that I was placed with the Alphas' said Becca, relaxing and starting to feel more at ease.
'You were involved with taking down Umbrella, weren't you?' he asked her, genuine interest in his voice. He leaned forward towards Becca, his hand near hers.
'Yeah. It was one of the most horrendous experiences in my life' she said simply, trying not to seem too choked up, despite still mentioning the events still made her shudder.
'What you guys went through, I don't think that many other people ever will experience, anything near to that. My most terrifying experience is when I was eight. I went to feed the geese when I was little, and they ended up chasing me!' joked Jack, his blue eyes glittering making Bec feel more at ease.
She settled back to enjoy dinner in the company of Jack King, definitely an enjoyable event.
Carlos was greeted at the door by a waiter who seemed all too happy to see Phoenix and him, though his happiness was more directed at Phoenix than him.
'Gully-Oliveira?' he asked them as they approached. Carlos nodded and ushered Phoenix ahead of him, as they wended there way through the numerous dinner tables, the lilting violin melodies playing in the air. The waiter made small talk with them, or more accurately, with Phoenix.
'And what is Miss Gully's name?' he asked, as he led them over to a table in the corner.
'Phoenix' she replied, shaking her head slightly and smiling.
'Phoenix is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl' he crooned, Phoenix giggled and sat down in her seat. Carlos sat opposite her, and said 'Thank You' pointedly. The man brushed past Phoenix, and off to wait upon a table of executives.
'Great Choice, Carlos' said Phoenix, looking around the restaurant's bustling activity with a satisfied expression.
Carlos felt a lump form in his throat. Sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant was Chris, Jill, Becca and a blond man. Carlos swallowed, and tried to concentrate on what Phoenix was saying.
Chris had known something was up when Jill had frozen in mid conversation, and wasn't looking directly at him anymore. Her eyes were focused on a point behind his shoulder, and Chris was half incline to think some world-moving event was taking place behind him, and being Chris, he would miss it even though it was happening directly behind him.
'Is there something really interesting behind me?' he asked. Jill started and shook her head, her eyes troubled and a worried frown forming on her face.
'Look who just walked in' fumed Jill, scrunching the napkin up her hands, scowling at what was behind Chris. Chris turned around and immediately saw why she was angry. Carlos Oliveira and his date had just entered the restaurant.
'What'll we do?' hissed Jill, shaking Chris's arm frantically.
'Nothing for the moment. They haven't seemed to notice us yet, so we'll play it along' answered Chris, trying not to stare angrily at the Spanish Amigo and his date.
Jill sighed and shrugged. It was all they could do for the moment.
Becca was enjoying herself. She usually never enjoyed the whole dinner-date business, she always felt nervous, and ended up leaving the restaurant having broken something or split some substance on her dress, or both. But so far, she was too engrossed with the charming young man sitting opposite her.
'I see you're rivalling Chris for the most spiky hair award' quipped Bec, as she paused to sip her Italian red.
'I love the startled porcupine look' he grinned boyishly, running his hand through his blond spikes.
'Give you a sword and a grey suit, then you'd be a ringer for Cloud Strife' said Bec, all of her insecurities borne away.
'Mmmm. I'm more bishouen, Rufus from Shinra maybe' he replied, sipping his drink.
'I like a man in a suit' said Bec flirtatiously, winking at him from behind her wine glass.
'You could be my Scarlett that way' he responded, nudging her calf ever so slightly under the table.
'She's blond though' stated Bec, edging her foot nearer his under the table.
'Red heads are fiery, wrathful and exuberant' he said in a low, sexy voice only for Becca to hear.
'I don't bite…that hard' she replied back, and was reward by Jack's grin spreading up his youthful features. Jill jabbing her in the back forced her away from his smile, she was hustled to the lady's room much to her consternation.
'What?' she squawked, as Jill pushed her into the Lady's room swiftly.
Chris nervously fiddled with his spoon and tried to think of an explanation to Jill hustling Bec to the bathrooms. He could only smile cheesily, while his brain worked quickly and he finally came up with the lame excuse 'Girls in bathrooms together, like wolves in a pack' he confided to the astonished Jack.
'You can never tell what they're up to' he agreed, raising his eyebrows as if what the two women were up to was something alien to the male sex. Chris mentally thanked Jill for her choice of suitor, he wasn't a dull bulb or a macho, and he was the perfect guy for Becca. Jack asking him a question interrupted him from his musings.
'Does she have a date for the dance?' he asked tentatively, his eyes glued to the bathroom door. Chris picked up the hint in his voice, and lit up inside.
'No, I think she's looking for one though' he nodded conspiratorially to Jack, like a hit man nodding to his accomplice. Jack nodded back, a satisfied look on his finely chiselled features. Chris looked to his left and saw that he was approaching, and prayed that Jill could keep Becca at bay until he'd got rid of him.
'Carlos!' he said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm at seeing him. 'What you doing here?' he asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes, hoping that Jill was still stalling Bec.
'I'm here with Phoenix. And who is this man?' he said, with forced good humor, gesturing to Jack whose eyes were pinned on the bathroom door.
'This here is Jack King, Sniper Division at the RPD' said Chris with phoney politeness, hoping Carlos would get the message. He didn't however, and was looking Jack up and down. Chris gritted his teeth, and desperately hoped Carlos would return to his date. He was pretty sure he wasn't doing this to stir up trouble, but why was he so interested with Bec's possible date? He had Phoenix whom he had pursued much to Chris's rage. Chris put two and two together, and shook his head. Carlos wouldn't risk his relationship with Phoenix, and go back to…? Chris's shoulders sagged.
'I'm Carlos Oliveira, STARs Alpha team' he heard Carlos say, and saw them shake hands. Chris was glad to see that Jack was barely paying attention to him, and was concentrating on the bathroom door. To Chris's relief, Carlos seemed finished, and nodded to Jack and walked back to his table. Chris sipped his wine; it was going to be a long night.
'Jill what are you doing???' shrieked Bec as soon as the door was shut. The bathroom was empty and Bec turned to face Jill, a mixture of anger and confusion clouding her face. Jill seemed harried and shook her a little, and pursed her lips, as if trying to find the right words. She draped her self casually on the soft couch and grinned at Bec.
'How's everything going with Jack?' asked Jill, pasting a smile on her face.
'Super. At least, it was until you dragged me off here' growled Bec. 'Jill what's up?' she asked suspiciously.
'Oh nothing. I just wanted to hear how you guys were getting on' Jill said, standing up and arranging a bit of Becca's hair.
'That all? You hauled me away in mid sentence to ask me that?' asked Bec, still suspicious, with an incredulous air. She blew air out from her lips nosily and folded her arms, and tapped her toe agitatedly.
Jill swallowed, and stared at the ceiling and tried to think up something to stall her for a little while longer. She suddenly hit upon an idea.
'You know, this is a key part of double dates. Us girls are in the bathroom, and the guys exchange pointers. Chris is putting in a good word for you as we speak' chimed Jill, with an exaggerated air of chirpiness, standing up in the mirror to examine her reflection.
Bec still looked doubtful. Jill thought quickly, and reached into her pocket for her lipstick. She handed it to Bec, who took it with a confused look, and redid her lips. Jill sneaked a look at her watch and decided that Chris had had enough time. She ceremoniously redid her lips, swiped back a lock of hair, and frogmarched a puzzled Becca back to the dinner table. She scanned her eyes over the table, and noticed Carlos was back at his table, for the time being.
Jill sat down at her seat tiredly, sharing a weary glance at Chris. So much for a relaxing dinner.
Carlos was staring at a picture of the Pantheon, and not really paying any attention to Phoenix's banter. He avoided the need to keep turning around and looking at Bec and her date, and tried to focus on Phoenix instead. He soon realised there was only so much you could look at someone, and found his thoughts wandering back to Bec's Date.
Jill, as he knew she would, had selected the best possible guy. This guy was in all respects the most suitable date. Jack had the spiky blond hair, blue eyed innocence and chiselled chin thing going on, and was the talking type. Carlos's rival. But he couldn't exactly be called a rival, Carlos was no longer playing for Becca, he had Phoenix. But he couldn't help glancing at her, smiling in her little black dress, her eyes shining and her lips so full and smooth…Carlos shook thoughts of her from his mind as he realised Phoenix had asked him a question.
'Are you excited about the dance?' she asked him brightly, pausing from her stream of chatter to drink her wine.
'Who isn't? Of course, I'll be taking the best girl' he said, automatically reaching for one of her small hands. Phoenix accordingly giggled and blushed, and Carlos felt his warmth for Phoenix return, but couldn't resist turning around and taking a look at Bec, who was smiling, laughing at something that Jack had said.
Chris and Jill were holding conference at their side of the table. A conference lacking the main qualities of a conference, such as loud angry voices and endless arguing, which might have occurred if they hadn't had to whisper the whole thing.
'We can't keep dodging for the whole damn evening!' hissed Chris, drumming his fingers on the oak table, trying to get his point across.
'What do we do then? Let her see him and get upset? Ruin her mood? Hell, she's having fun, I don't want him coming over and fucking things up!' retorted Jill, grabbing Chris's fingers, as his drumming was starting to drum into her skull.
'He won't come up and try to ruin things, I'm here, and he wouldn't dare!' insisted Chris, desperately trying to get his fingers free from Jill's tight grasp.
'But seeing him might upset her, he's with Phoenix and she wouldn't enjoy herself after that he's here' interjected Jill, holding Chris's fingers in a vice grip. Onlookers were giving their table funny looks, the contrast between each half distinctly different. Two happy, sunny people indulging in light-hearted flirting, and two other people having a heated fight, while the female was trying to crush the male's fingers.
'Leave it. We won't do anything, he doesn't look like he's going to make a move over here' reported Jill, craning her neck to check Carlos's position. He wasn't making any movement to walk over to their table, but every so often, his eye strayed, and he looked idly around the room.
Chris was about to reply to her, but decided to change the subject, trying to salvage some pleasure out of the meal for themselves, it had been a long time since they'd been out anywhere fancy. It had turned into a Carlos-watching-session, but Chris would be damned if a little thing like that ruined his date with Jill.
'Those two seem to have hit off well' remarked Chris, finally freeing his fingers from Jill's grasp, and sipping his wine. Becca was giggling, as Jack was relating some story of what had happened to him last summer, about catching two men in a car doing something Chris couldn't quite picture.
'I pride myself on my match-making skills' Jill quipped, smiling at the happy pair.
The man, who had greeted them at the door, was bringing the dishes they had ordered. He set one plate down, and quickly picked it up in surprise, apologising profusely.
'Sorry, dis is for Mr Oliveira, your food is following soon' he assured them, scooping up the plates and heading over to Carlos's table.
Jill could have thrown herself on the floor and cussed from here to Abu Dhabi, but held it in and stared at Chris open mouthed, his expression much the same. Dodging Carlos successfully and then being slipped up by a damn waiter, so much for plans. They were pretty much blown to shit. Chris pasted a happy smile on his face and motioned to Jill to do the same, hopefully Becca hadn't noticed, but she had.
Bec tried to discreetly locate where Carlos's table was situated, while continue her conversation with Jack as if nothing had happened. He hadn't given a second thought to the name Oliveira and was joking on like he was before. Bec wouldn't have noticed either, but the way Jill and Chris positively drooped when they had heard the name had alerted her that something was up.
'And then he said, 'Toilet broken, please use floor below' cracked Jack, Bec paused briefly to stare into his flashing blue eyes, and to laugh, but then resumed looking to Carlos's table. She finally found it, next to the picture of the Pantheon. The main giveaway was Phoenix, dressed in a black tube top and a long black skirt, her long red hair making her look distinguished.
'I could never contend with her' thought Bec, as she tried to pay attention to Jack. She decided at the next free moment, she would breeze up to the table and greet Carlos, make small talk then breeze back. It would be a declaration to show she had moved on, and could talk to him without disintegrating.
Bec watched like an eagle, and saw that Phoenix and gone to the ladies room, and decided to breeze past Carlos. She excused herself from Jack and strode confidently over to Carlos's table.
Jill had seen Phoenix go into the lady's room and decided to stir up some trouble. She wanted to drag a little fun out of the evening for herself, and her mind was working fast. She set her wine glass down and decided to head to the lady's room. Chris caught her eye, and stopped her.
'Jill, don't' he got out, before Jill smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders.
'Don't worry, I won't be too bad' she said, batting her eyelashes. She winked and walked across to the bathrooms, leaving Chris with images of Phoenix emerging minus an arm or a leg.
'Hey' said a soft voice at Carlos's elbow. He turned around, and about to make a comment about Phoenix completing bathroom rituals in a record breaking time. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly when he realised it was Becca.
'Hey, having fun?' he asked automatically, his eyes straying across her body. He had never seen her in a dress before, and it clung to her petit form neatly and flattered her figure.
'Yeah, great. This is a nice place, huh?' she asked nonchalantly, smiling.
'Great. Not one those tacky places you find downtown sometimes,' agreed Carlos. He couldn't keep his eyes off her legs, they were longer than he thought, and shimmered from underneath her flesh coloured stockings.
'Nice seeing you' she said sweetly, nodding to him and walking back to her table. Carlos watched her hips roll slightly as she walked, her heels tapping on the floor and her slim, creamy legs flowing smoothly. He sat back and waited for Phoenix to come back, shutting his eyes briefly to store up a mental picture of Becca's svelte form to keep in his mind.
Jill looked into the bathrooms and spotted Phoenix immediately. She was the only person in the bathrooms, apart from Jill. It wasn't hard to miss her either, being very unique with almost waist length red hair, and stylish clothes. She appearing to putting money into one of the machines at the other end of the room, and when she moved away to pull out whatever product she had ordered, it happed to be the condom machine.
Jill watched gleefully as she conspicuously stuffed them in her handbag, and walked over to the mirror to reapply her lipstick. Now it was time to go in for the kill.
'Hey, you must be Phoenix' said Jill brightly, holding out one of her hands. Phoenix jumped when she heard the voice at her elbow, and was startled at seeing Jill. She shook hands and smiled though.
'And who are you?' she asked sweetly, after shaking Jill's hand.
'I'm Jill, I work with Carlos at the RPD' replied Jill, nodding.
'Oh. I'm here on a date with him' she said sweetly, applying her lipstick.
'Carlos is a real joker, isn't he?' remarked Jill as she idly combed her hair.
'Yeah. He sure does make me laugh' agreed Phoenix, as she capped her lipstick.
'The stuff he does' said Jill, examining her fingernails.
'What does he usually do when he's around you guys?' asked Phoenix, intrigued.
'He likes to streak a lot' said Jill breezily, all blue eyed innocence.
'Streak?' asked Phoenix uncertainly.
'Yeah, he's got a real reputation in Robertsville for it. He can't wait for baseball season, that's when his prime time is' said Jill, carefully choosing her words.
'Carlos didn't say anything about that to me' she said, a worried frown forming on her brow. Jill picked up a hint of worry in her voice, and pounced on it gleefully.
'He's probably waiting to surprise you! But he has so many hobbies as well' Jill carried on, trailing off and absently nibbling a cuticle.
'I like a guy who has hobbies' said Phoenix lovingly, her face dreamy. Jill grinned mischievously, and prepared to deliver her bait.
'Sewage systems is his main love in life' related Jill, trying not to laugh at Phoenix's horrified gaze.
'Sewage systems?' she stuttered, wringing her bag strap tightly.
'Oh yeah, he knows the whole lot when it comes to Sewage Systems. He could tell me off the top of his head where each separate house's waste leads to' Jill rattled on, trying to seem oblivious to Phoenix's reactions.
'Did you hear about that man who was killed by a snake out fishing?' said Phoenix swiftly changing the subject.
'You mean the snake was fishing as well?' asked Jill all big-eyed innocence.
She hadn't meant to be cruel, but Phoenix's sweet outlook and sugary voice was getting on her nerves. Phoenix's voice wasn't exactly annoying, but it drove her crazy, listening to the high, twinkly voice and girlish giggle had begun to get to her. At the rebuke, Phoenix merely pursed up her lips and shrugged. Jill felt a twinge of guilt at being wiseguy as Phoenix was a genuinely nice girl. She didn't have a chance to apologise as Phoenix had swept up her stuff and left the room as dignified as a peacock.
Jill stared into the mirror at her reflection and eventually left the bathroom. As she opened the door she mused about how much conflict that mirror had seen. It had certainly seen a lot this evening.
'You were gone a long time' observed Carlos as a flustered looking Phoenix returned to the table after a long period of time in the bathroom. Her movements were jerky as she snapped her bag close, set it down on the floor and sat in her seat, glaring slightly at Carlos.
'I was talking to one of your friends' she replied darkly, sipping her wine.
Carlos was still thinking of Becca in her dress, and didn't register the conviction in Phoenix's voice. He couldn't stop thinking about her large, brooding grey eyes and barely noticed Phoenix's comment.
'Oh you did? Have fun?' he asked distractedly, pretending to examine his cuffs when he was sneaking looks at Becca, who was laughing at something Jack had just said. The sound of her sweet, light laughter was like nectar to his ears, and he strained to here what her youthful voice was saying.
'She told me about your interesting hobbies' hinted Phoenix again, her characteristic cheeriness gone, and in its place was a questioning frown. Carlos finally to keep his concentration on Phoenix and detected a note of accusation in her voice.
'What kind of hobbies was she telling you about?' he questioned; racking his brain thinking of the possible things Jill could have said. It must have been Jill as he was talking to Becca, and she had gone straight back to her table. He dreaded what Jill could have said, she was renowned for being venomous, and possessing the casualness correctness and words that were like poison daggers.
'Streaking. Sewage Systems' stated Phoenix simply, before reaching for his hand and grasping it with an intenseness that shocked Carlos.
'She said that??!?' Carlos nearly squeaked, his voice reduced to a girly squeak. He glanced across at Chris and Jill's table and caught Jill's gaze. She winked and stuck her tongue out, having successfully scared Carlos's date.
'Now honey. I love you as you are and you're a great person and' said Phoenix slowly, squeezing his hand softly and smiling slightly. Carlos stroked her hand and run his other hand through his hair.
'That's just Jill trying to make me look stupid' said Carlos lightly, a smile creeping up his face. He mentally cursed Jill and he could understand why Phoenix had looked so riled when she had emerged from the bathroom. If Phoenix did streaking and sewage systems, he'd probably be feeling the same way.
'She wasn't exactly nice either' said Phoenix staring down at where Carlos was holding her hands. A worried frown creased her brow and Carlos did a double take. Jill wouldn't have been openly mean. It wasn't her style. Her quips and scoff is what she used to damage the enemy.
'Jill's an ice queen when she wants to be. But she really isn't like that, she tough and kind, I'm sure she didn't mean to appear that way' reassured Carlos, comforting Phoenix and defending Jill at the same time, much to his surprise.
'Your probably right' replied Phoenix. She finally smiled fully, and Carlos dropped his head and kissed her hands lightly, brushing his lips across the backs of her hands slightly.
'Shall we eat?' asked Carlos, gesturing to the pasta that had gone cold a long time ago. Phoenix nodded and they both started to pick at their meal.
'Jill's been gone a long time' thought Chris, looking at his watch. Nothing terrible could have happened, he would have yelled screams of pain and agony by now and Jill would have stormed out demanding the largest knife in the kitchen.
His thoughts of Jill left when he saw Becca approach Carlos's table. He felt himself tense, waiting for the explosion to happen, and for the happy look on her face to be replaced by a wistful, sad expression. It didn't though. He couldn't see Carlos's face, but Becca seemed animated and cheery, oozing enthusiasm and nonchalant grace. He picked this moment when both women were away from the table to interrogate Jack.
'Dude, what do think of Bec?' asked Chris, as if talking to a buddy in the locker room at high school. He noticed that Jack's eyes never left Becca and he felt a surge of triumph.
'She's great. She seems friendly, sweet and funny. Nice looking too' nodded Jack, still staring at Bec.
'Not nice to stare' he commented lightly, poking Jack's back.
'Kinda hard not to when the girl sitting opposite you could be Nicole Kidman's double. Damn, she's fine' remarked Jack as Bec talked to Carlos.
'Keep going that way, and you'll have her. Play it nice though, she's shy. And don't do anything drastic' said Chris warningly, hinting that Jack would be on the receiving end of Chris's strong fist if he acted differently. Jack cocked up an eyebrow and grinned.
Becca strode purposefully back to the table and resumed conversation with Jack quickly, the happy smile stretching across her features. Chris smiled to himself and congratulated Bec for her braveness at approaching Carlos by nodding at her across the table. Bec winked back before delving back into conversation with Jack. Those two could talk forever, mused Chris as Jill returned to the table, a mischievous light in her face.
'You didn't complete diminish her, did you?' asked Chris teasingly, as Jill settled in her seat, blue eyes shining and that smile on her lips that signalled mischief.
'I wasn't that brutal' condescended Jill with an air of grace as she daintily sipped her wine. 'When's the food coming?' she asked after a beat, eager to change the subject.
'Soon, we've been sitting here for around forty minutes' said Chris, checking his watch. 'When you left to pester Phoenix, Bec went and talked to Carlos' he said, his voice low.
'And?' asked Jill curiously, leaning forward to catch what Chris had said. The din of the restaurant was almost deafening as some customers were rowing with the manager over something related to the food.
'Fine. Let's give Carlos a break, if Bec can forgive him, then all of can too' replied Chris. As the words left his mouth, he was surprised that he was sticking up for the Spanish Amigo. Carlos was his friend, but the few skirmishes they had had were quite memorable to him and many of the others, usually finishing with Carlos nursing a black eye and Chris in a simmering rage.
'Okay. Bec has Jack, he has Phoenix, everything's worked out' agreed Jill, sitting back in her chair. The noise of the row had quietened down, and they could hear the lilting violin tunes playing out on the radio, and the clink of cutlery and the cheerful babble of the dining customers. A different waiter approached them carrying plates of the food they had ordered on each arm. He served them and left, wishing that they enjoyed their food. Chris politely thanked him and they settled down to eat.
'Thank you Mr Oliveira, please sign here' said the waiter as Carlos paid the bill. The date had gone fine, he mused, except for Jill's little interruption. He'd also enjoyed looking at Bec, shining and radiant, dressed immaculately and tastefully. He turned to face Phoenix who had her long black coat on over her snug black tube top. He finished paying the bill, caught hold of her hand and walked out towards the car.
'Damn' muttered Phoenix as she strapped in her seat belt.
'What?' asked Carlos as he rustled the car keys and started the ignition.
'I would have liked to see you streak' remarked Phoenix coyly, mock pouting her lips at Carlos. Carlos responded by leaning over and kissing her softly, darting out his tongue slightly and brushing it across her lips, giving her a taster of what was to come.
'Mi Chica, don't be sure about that' he remarked lightly, winking at her. 'Shall I drop you home?' he asked, starting the engine.
'My car's at your house' she said, looking unconcernedly out of the window.
'Come back to mine for coffee?' he drawled, cocking up an eyebrow, hoping she would get his drift.
'And perhaps a little more than that, I might actually get to see you streak' replied Phoenix accordingly, winking at him from behind a veil of red hair that was hanging loosely over a velvet brown eye.
'Naughty Chica' mused Carlos out loud, grinning to himself as he drove back home.
'Great night out' commented Jack as the foursome left the restaurant. It was quarter past nine, and it was still light. They walked down to the parked cars, chatting easily, the click of heels on the pavement making a din in the otherwise quiet evening.
'Bec, need a lift home?' asked Jack nonchalantly, as they reached where their cars were parked.
'Sure' answered Bec, waiting next to Jack's blue hatchback. Jill gave a look, and Bec nodded confidently back.
'Thanks for coming out tonight Jack' said Chris as he opened his car's door.
'It was great. Great choice for tonight, Jill' he said waving to Jill who was in the passenger seat. Jill waved back and grinned. Chris and Jill drove off, leaving Bec and Jack.
Jack stepped in front of Bec and opened the passenger seat for her, and then went around to the driver's side. Bec climbed into the modest hatchback and slammed the door, and deftly fastened her seat belt. Jack adjusted his then started the car, reversing it out of the restaurant's car park. They drove past the rural part of Robertsville, the valleys and rivers, the sunset bathing the whole area in pools of crimson and orange.
'Looks like someone got busy with a paint brush' remarked Jack as the drove past the pretty scenery.
'Beautiful' sighed Bec happily.
He stopped outside Bec's house and parked the car. He got out and opened the door for Bec, always the gentleman mused Bec as they walked up the driveway to her small house. Jack hold of her hand, and they walked up to her door hand in hand.
'I had a great time tonight' said Bec, as they stood outside her door. Jack raised Bec's hand to her lips and kissed it lightly.
'So did I' he said after a beat of comfortable silence, the sound of birds chirping in the late sun. He opened his mouth and Bec waited, as he seemed to be searching for the right words.
'Say, are is anyone taking you to the dance?' he asked rubbing the back of neck shyly. Bec felt her face light up and she grinned.
'Nope. But if your offering….' She said, leaving an open end, trying to curb her excitement.
'So, how about if I take you then?' Jack said quickly, his words coming out in a rush. Bec said nothing but reached up and slid her arms around his neck, and he responded by wrapping his around her waist and pulling her close to his body. Bec rested her head on his chest, just above his heart. They stood like that for a moment, getting used to the feeling of they bodies pressed close. Jack drew back after a moment and loosely draped his arms around her waist.
'I take that's a yes, then' he laughed, stroking her cheek softly. Bec felt her face grow warm and nodded, unable to speak. He continued to stroke her cheek, and then leaned in and Bec found herself stepping closer to him. There lips met she closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She pulled away after a moment and smiled coyly at him.
'Well I better be going' she said unlocking her front door.
'Okay. We have to meet up again sometime' said Jack, his cheeks slightly pink from the kiss.
'I'd like that' replied Bec, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face. Jack nodded back and he began walking back to his car, and Bec entered her house. She kicked off her heels and locked the door and ran singing up the stairs to her bedroom.
'Someone up there does love me' mused Bec as she struggled out of her dress into her nightshirt. She paused in front of the mirror, and what she saw pleased her. A confident, bright-faced girl replaced the bundle of insecurities and misgivings she usually saw. Pleased with her observations, she hopped down stairs to make herself a mug of hot chocolate, unable to keep the spring out of her step.
It was around midnight when Phoenix had finally fallen asleep, and Carlos slipped out of bed and went down stairs to get a glass of water. He opened the fridge and got some ice out, and dropped two cubes into his glass, sipped it thoughtfully. He and Phoenix had come back to his house, under the pretence of having coffee and had winded up in bed. Carlos drank some more of the cool liquid, savoring the refreshing taste. He slumped against the kitchen unit and tried to get his head together.
The moon outside had become obscured by clouds, the dull glow escaping from behind the cloud blanket matched his feelings accordingly. Phoenix had been invigorating. He had almost felt her fiery spirit enter him and swim his body, the fire from the bird that rose from the ashes. But when he looked down, he kept on imagining Becca's face looking up at him, her eyes full of love and passion…her body close to his. Carlos drained the last of the glass and hauled himself up from the floor.
His mind was confused. One moment he was ready to run away into the sunset with Phoenix, next he was fantasizing about Becca. He loved both of them for different reasons, and he couldn't decide which he wanted. Phoenix was full of soft fire, curvy and sweet, and Becca was sensitive and innocent, petit and cute. His decision had basely been made for him, as Becca had seemed to be enjoying herself with Jack and he had more or less committed himself to the girl who was sleeping upstairs in his bed.
Without another thought, Carlos padded up the stairs and slid into bed next to his sleeping goddess, and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She murmured something in her sleep and he kissed the nape of her neck lightly, before falling asleep himself.
Chicky Sez: Wheeeeew! That was long! Sorry it took so long to get out, I had a lot of work on concerning an experiment that needed constant observation. What do you guys think? This is pretty long compared to the others, but I like to get events ove rin one chapter, and have stuff neatly arranged like that. Stay tuned for what happens next in Robertsville!
Sayonara…xXx Chicky Tifa
When I'm feeling blue and lonely,
All I have to do is think of you,
We had just one night,
But it lingers on and on and on,
You gave your love to me softly.
'You Gave Your Love To Me Softly' by Weezer.
Bec nervously pawed through her wardrobe, trying to a find a dress to wear for tonight. She always found that whenever she needed a particular piece of clothing she could never find it. The full wardrobe had never looked so empty and shabby. Bec picked up one dress and rejected it as soon as she picked it up, throwing it onto the ever growing 'No' pile.
She picked up a dark blue strappy dress and placed it on the 'maybe' pile. She cursed herself for rashly agreeing to go tonight, and groaned as she looked into the mirror. Her grey eyes were nearly disappearing into her forehead, and the eye bags complete with dark circles looked like two hollows in her face. To top it all off, her shoulder length red hair looked like a haystack. So much for natural beauty.
She scrutinised a dark purple dress, and threw it down on the 'No' pile after a moments thought, the dress reminded her of a prune or a magician. Not exactly the combo she'd want to look like while eating a sumptuous meal at Venice Square. They might mistake her for a street entertainer.
Her green silk, which had stood her good stead for so long was cast onto the fateful pile, after she had come to the realisation that it made her look like a clump of celery. The red creation with the sweeping skirt, clashed with her hair and made her look like a bar singer. Bec flopped down dejectedly on the bed, her hair and make up not done, and her dress still unpicked. She had mainly decided to show that Spanish Amigo she was no pushover, and that she could breeze into dates nonchalantly and not give a shit.
But she was giving a shit. Bec considered phoning Jill and telling her she was sick, but dismissed the idea as soon as she made it, she couldn't let such a good friend down because she felt scared and annoyed. Jill had obviously been working in her best interests, inviting her along so that she didn't feel like a complete wallflower. Bec could see she had deliberately set her up for a date with another guy, and she appreciated it, but it only reminded herself about whom she really was.
A silly little girl who couldn't find a date.
Bec slumped against her bed, and massaged her temples with her hands. She had to be set up on a date with a poor unsuspecting guy, she was that pathetic. What if he turned out to be even more dorky than Becca herself? What if he invited her back to look at his bug collection? Bec was considering these scenarios fearfully, and then abruptly forgot them as she knew Jill wouldn't do that to her. She was too good a friend.
Or would she?
Bec was about to start bouncing up and down on her bed convulsively screaming when she pulled herself together.
'You got yourself into this mess, and your going to follow it through. Throw off your damn insecurities and have fun tonight, If worse comes to worse; you can always fake sickness, this is a simple date, you've face off with worst monsters and stuff like this' Bec told herself strictly. She had pulled herself together, and now she could feel the confidence growing inside her.
Bec grinned confidently at herself and whisked into her wardrobe and began to sort through dresses, humming happily. She decided that she couldn't get much out of her haystack hair, so she opted to tease the curls out of her hair. She adjusted her rollers, and began to apply her make up. She streaked her eyelids with eyeliner, and turned on her radio and started to belt out songs along with the radio.
She grabbed her hairbrush, tilted her head and gave her best performance.
'LUCKY THAT MY BREASTS ARE SMALL AND HUMBLE, SO YOU DON'T CONFUSE THEM WITH MOUNTAINS!!!!!!!!!!!' she belted out, rocking her head back, she was about to continue when a shout of laughter interrupted her.
She quickly turned away from her mirror and squealed when she saw Chris and Jill dressed immaculately and doubling over with laughter at her performance. Bec gave a high-pitched squeal and Chris and Jill laughed harder, Chris smacking his fists against the walls and Jill trying hard not let the tears of mirth spill down her cheeks.
Bec turned off the radio and stood stupidly in front of them, cringing as she remembered her hair curlers still twined in her hair, and her spidery eyeliner clinging to her eyes.
Chris and Jill finally recovered and sat on her bed, grinning broadly.
'Lemme call Jive and tell em' we've gotta new Britney Spears!' cracked Chris, his boyish features aglow with mirth.
'That's enough to drive anyone insane!' giggled Jill. Bec still stood there, struck dumb with her mouth wide open. Chris walked up to her and gently held her chin and closed her mouth.
'Can't let the flies in' he chuckled, patting her shoulders. He closely inspected her face and Bec drew back slightly. 'Bec, we're going for dinner, not trick or treating'.
She went bright crimson underneath her carefully applied foundation.
Jill stood next to Chris and gave her a friendly smile.
'Don't mind Chris, his biggest shock was when he found me singing my heart out in the shower' she drawled.
'And I thought the shower was malfunctioning again' he said softly, and both of them collapsed into another laughing fit, and when they had recovered Bec looked in the mirror and saw that her eyeliner had run all down her face. She placed her hands on her heart and struck a dramatic pose.
'Jack, I'll never let go!' she crooned, her hands clutched to her heart.
Chris chuckled and pushed a giggling Jill of his middle, and dusted off his Tux pants. Jill walked up to Bec and carefully wiped away the offending black eyeliner.
'Do we have to leave now?' asked Bec frantically, her hand flying up to her hair and a despairing glance at her wardrobe.
'No, don't worry Bec. Not for another forty minutes, we came over early to see if you were still sane' reassured Jill.
'And our observations have proved you've gone off ya nut' grinned Chris.
All three of them tittered and Jill placed her hand on Bec's shoulders.
'I take it you need a little help?' she asked noting Bec's hair and face.
'A little is an understatement' groaned Bec.
'I'll leave you to transform Bec, I'll phone and check the reservations one last time' said Chris, nodding at both of them.
Jill sat Bec down on the bed and pawed through her wardrobe to find her a dress and get her ready.
Carlos was just stepping out of the shower when he heard his doorbell ring. He scrabbled around for his towel, and lightly wrapping it around him, he walked down the stairs to answer the door.
He opened it to find his date standing on his doorstep, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He stepped aside to let her in, and once inside Phoenix teasingly looped her arms around his neck.
'I thought answering the door nearly naked was against the law' she teased, running her light fingers down his biceps. Carlos looped her arms around her slim waist and teasingly puffed his lips out.
'Now we're gonna have none of that behavior Missy' he said, cupping her cheek with one hand and gently dropping kisses along her neck. He inhaled a deep breath of her sweetly scented skin, and rested his head in the curve of her neck, brushing his head against the silky red tendrils of red hair. She raised her head and he saw her tilt her head and her lips were about to brush his when he placed his finger on his lips.
'Naughty Missy' he crooned, he slid his hands down her waist and around to the edge of her sleek black tube top. They traveled along the edge until he placed them up in her top and caressed the soft skin. Phoenix shut her eyes slightly and Carlos kissed her lips lightly and fully. He felt a trill of energy surge through him at touch of her lips and he drew back to look at her face more fully.
The dark brown eyes were twinkling with happiness and her smooth skin shone healthily from the sun, and her dark red hair was lying sleekly down her back. Her pretty full lips were so near, and he half moved into kiss her again, when he felt a slight shudder as they reminded him of someone he wasn't so sure about. He untangled himself from Phoenix and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, pasting a fake coy grin to his face.
'Do you mind waiting down here? I'll quickly dress' he said, trying to get his head together.
'Sure, and if you take too long, I might have to help ya' she crooned, winking at him.
'You mean I'll have to help you Undress?' questioned Carlos, raising one eyebrow suggestively and nodding in her direction. Phoenix blushed sweetly and covered her cheeks and gave him a slight grin.
Carlos turned and walked upstairs quickly, and started to dress. He pulled on the dark blue shirt and black tie tux he had picked for tonight, and he combed his hair into it's style, trying to gather his thoughts for the third time this day.
'Geez, twice today I have drawn away from kissing a girl' he mused, while tying his tie. He really needed to figure out whom he wanted. He couldn't string Phoenix along, but he needed to decide whom he wanted, as Bec might not be a free agent after tonight.
Carlos lingered while smoothing down his hair, mulling over the earlier events. Becca was going out to dinner with Chris, Jill and another guy. Jill had obviously set it up, and he knew Jill would only pick out the best suitor for Bec. Carlos tried to shake all thoughts of Becca away from his mind, but the nagging feeling remained there.
'So what if Bec gets a guy? It's the best thing, and everything would be rounded off nicely, and you have Phoenix as well' he told himself, thinking of the girl waiting downstairs for him. Bec's guy would probably be way better than him. But was that a good thing?
Carlos was about to start tying up his tie again, when he shook himself and pulled on his jacket, and grabbed the bouquet of red and white roses from the mantelpiece.
'Get your ass down there, or Phoenix will think you've gone to the bathroom and fallen in' he told himself, grasping the flowers and walking downstairs.
He walked into the living room and stood in front of Phoenix, who looked him up and down and gave a coy smile, which made him take him in breath quickly. There he was, upstairs contemplating dating Becky and bow being bowled over by a slight movement from another girl. Talk about hormones. Flipping from one red haired goddess to another….
He handed her the roses, and smiled at him, receiving them. Phoenix looked over them and smelt them.
'They're beautiful' she said softly, she pecked Carlos's cheek and looked at him shyly. Carlos caught hold of her hand, and together they walked out to his car. Carlos open the door for her and as she stepped in she asked him a question.
'Where exactly are we going?' she asked, fastening her seat belt.
'The Venice Square' said Carlos, reversing out of the drive.
Bec sat in the back seat, watching the scenery go past. She shifted her feet uncomfortably in her seldom worn high heels, and carefully brushed her hair away from her neck so as not to disturb Jill's handiwork.
Chris was intently driving, and Jill was looking out of the window like Bec was, and the silence in the car was comfortable. Companionable.
Bec thanked her Guardian Angel that even though it was one of her most embarrassing experiences, Chris and Jill had arrived early. If they hadn't come, she might have ended up going out to dinner looking like a Drag Queen. Jill had made her look presentable, which better than Bec's past efforts.
Sure, the high heels were uncomfortable, her head felt strange being piled with red curls that were not normally there, and her eyes were stinging from the carefully applied white eyeliner, and her dress itched, but it was the small price to pay for not looking like something out of the Rocky Horror Show.
Her dress had surprised her. Jill had picked out the little black number she'd bought while shopping with Claire and Jill, the dress she had despised while in the shop, but now while wearing it, she had to admit it looked good on her. Her small curls that were falling to her shoulders, and her carefully applied make up made her look more like a film star than a little girl playing dress up. She didn't care if she didn't impress this other guy, she had already achieved something this evening.
Jill, the master of cosmetics had faded her ruddy, burned skin and it looked more golden brown than it did angry red. The angry red that had clashed with her hair was now complimenting it, making it glint gold and copper. Becca mentally thanked Jill's expertise.
Chris parked the car, in the restaurant's lot, and Becca opened her door and daintily swung her legs out. Chris helped her out, understanding her walking impediment, and Jill led them to the entrance. A smiling young man, with olive skin and brown hair greeted them at the door, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt.
'Redfield-Chambers-King?' he queried, looking at them.
'Yes, that's us' said Jill, nodding.
'Mr King has yet to arrive, but I will seat you now' he said kindly, leading them around the immaculate tables where other people were already partaking of the finest Italian Cuisine. Becca took in the decorated walls, adorned with Italian paintings and wine bottles, and statuettes. Another point to Jill, she had sure picked a nice place.
The charming waiter seated them at a four-seater table, and left them, assuring them to escort Mr King when he arrived. Jill thanked him and turned to the others.
'You like the place?' she asked, gesturing the restaurant that was bustling with activity.
'Perfect. Great choice, babe' agreed Chris, smiling.
'Yeah, this is great. Thanks Jill' said Bec appreciatively.
Bec was flipping through the menu when she realised her bladder was at breaking point. She excused herself from the table and when the ladies' room. Whenever she was nervous, she always needed the bathroom. She had been expecting it to happen.
She walked into the lavishly decorated bathrooms, which had a plush velvet sofa and wall hangings of embroided silk hung up the walls. Bec admired the tasteful colours and scheme. She relieved herself and washed her hands, and dried them on a patterned flannel from a rack nailed to the wall. She arranged a curl and wiped off a smudge from her face and walked out back to her table.
As she neared the table, there was another man sitting opposite her place, she couldn't see his face as he was facing away from her. She could make out blond hair and a dark blue shirt. She edged nearer and Chris saw her walking up.
'This is Becca, Jack' he said gesturing to Becca. Jack turned around and Bec took in his blue eyes and spiky blond hair, and the finely chiselled features. Had Brad Pitt just walked in and sat opposite her?
'Hey' she said smiling slightly at him, and gave he her a smile back. She sat down at her place opposite him and felt her smile creep up her features, and he nodded towards her.
'So Jack, your in the Sniper group?' asked Chris as they looked through the menus.
'Yeah, I work in the marksmanship course' said Jack. Becca listened to the New York accent in his voice.
'Watch it Jack, Chris is the best marksman in the Alpha team' said Jill, laughing.
'Believe me, I wouldn't dare offend ya, the thought of you pursuing me with a shotgun is enough to scare me!' chuckled Jack, making them laugh.
'Then again, seeing Chris first thing in the morning is a pretty bad thought' put in Becca, her quip was received with laughter.
Chris and Jill began to talk to eachother which was a signal for Jack and Bec 'to get to know each other' Bec started to panic, as she felt at a loss for words. Jack sensed this and started off the conversation.
'So you're a STARs Bravo team member?' he asked tentatively, absently fiddling with his napkin. Bec half smiled to herself, glad to see he was almost as nervous as she was.
'STARs Alpha' she corrected him, grinning at his surprise. She liked freaking members of the RPD out, and she usually got more respect for it.
As she had predicted, Jack did a double take and gave her an impressed look. A low whistle escaped from him. Bingo.
'It's mainly from my past experiences that I was placed with the Alphas' said Becca, relaxing and starting to feel more at ease.
'You were involved with taking down Umbrella, weren't you?' he asked her, genuine interest in his voice. He leaned forward towards Becca, his hand near hers.
'Yeah. It was one of the most horrendous experiences in my life' she said simply, trying not to seem too choked up, despite still mentioning the events still made her shudder.
'What you guys went through, I don't think that many other people ever will experience, anything near to that. My most terrifying experience is when I was eight. I went to feed the geese when I was little, and they ended up chasing me!' joked Jack, his blue eyes glittering making Bec feel more at ease.
She settled back to enjoy dinner in the company of Jack King, definitely an enjoyable event.
Carlos was greeted at the door by a waiter who seemed all too happy to see Phoenix and him, though his happiness was more directed at Phoenix than him.
'Gully-Oliveira?' he asked them as they approached. Carlos nodded and ushered Phoenix ahead of him, as they wended there way through the numerous dinner tables, the lilting violin melodies playing in the air. The waiter made small talk with them, or more accurately, with Phoenix.
'And what is Miss Gully's name?' he asked, as he led them over to a table in the corner.
'Phoenix' she replied, shaking her head slightly and smiling.
'Phoenix is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl' he crooned, Phoenix giggled and sat down in her seat. Carlos sat opposite her, and said 'Thank You' pointedly. The man brushed past Phoenix, and off to wait upon a table of executives.
'Great Choice, Carlos' said Phoenix, looking around the restaurant's bustling activity with a satisfied expression.
Carlos felt a lump form in his throat. Sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant was Chris, Jill, Becca and a blond man. Carlos swallowed, and tried to concentrate on what Phoenix was saying.
Chris had known something was up when Jill had frozen in mid conversation, and wasn't looking directly at him anymore. Her eyes were focused on a point behind his shoulder, and Chris was half incline to think some world-moving event was taking place behind him, and being Chris, he would miss it even though it was happening directly behind him.
'Is there something really interesting behind me?' he asked. Jill started and shook her head, her eyes troubled and a worried frown forming on her face.
'Look who just walked in' fumed Jill, scrunching the napkin up her hands, scowling at what was behind Chris. Chris turned around and immediately saw why she was angry. Carlos Oliveira and his date had just entered the restaurant.
'What'll we do?' hissed Jill, shaking Chris's arm frantically.
'Nothing for the moment. They haven't seemed to notice us yet, so we'll play it along' answered Chris, trying not to stare angrily at the Spanish Amigo and his date.
Jill sighed and shrugged. It was all they could do for the moment.
Becca was enjoying herself. She usually never enjoyed the whole dinner-date business, she always felt nervous, and ended up leaving the restaurant having broken something or split some substance on her dress, or both. But so far, she was too engrossed with the charming young man sitting opposite her.
'I see you're rivalling Chris for the most spiky hair award' quipped Bec, as she paused to sip her Italian red.
'I love the startled porcupine look' he grinned boyishly, running his hand through his blond spikes.
'Give you a sword and a grey suit, then you'd be a ringer for Cloud Strife' said Bec, all of her insecurities borne away.
'Mmmm. I'm more bishouen, Rufus from Shinra maybe' he replied, sipping his drink.
'I like a man in a suit' said Bec flirtatiously, winking at him from behind her wine glass.
'You could be my Scarlett that way' he responded, nudging her calf ever so slightly under the table.
'She's blond though' stated Bec, edging her foot nearer his under the table.
'Red heads are fiery, wrathful and exuberant' he said in a low, sexy voice only for Becca to hear.
'I don't bite…that hard' she replied back, and was reward by Jack's grin spreading up his youthful features. Jill jabbing her in the back forced her away from his smile, she was hustled to the lady's room much to her consternation.
'What?' she squawked, as Jill pushed her into the Lady's room swiftly.
Chris nervously fiddled with his spoon and tried to think of an explanation to Jill hustling Bec to the bathrooms. He could only smile cheesily, while his brain worked quickly and he finally came up with the lame excuse 'Girls in bathrooms together, like wolves in a pack' he confided to the astonished Jack.
'You can never tell what they're up to' he agreed, raising his eyebrows as if what the two women were up to was something alien to the male sex. Chris mentally thanked Jill for her choice of suitor, he wasn't a dull bulb or a macho, and he was the perfect guy for Becca. Jack asking him a question interrupted him from his musings.
'Does she have a date for the dance?' he asked tentatively, his eyes glued to the bathroom door. Chris picked up the hint in his voice, and lit up inside.
'No, I think she's looking for one though' he nodded conspiratorially to Jack, like a hit man nodding to his accomplice. Jack nodded back, a satisfied look on his finely chiselled features. Chris looked to his left and saw that he was approaching, and prayed that Jill could keep Becca at bay until he'd got rid of him.
'Carlos!' he said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm at seeing him. 'What you doing here?' he asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes, hoping that Jill was still stalling Bec.
'I'm here with Phoenix. And who is this man?' he said, with forced good humor, gesturing to Jack whose eyes were pinned on the bathroom door.
'This here is Jack King, Sniper Division at the RPD' said Chris with phoney politeness, hoping Carlos would get the message. He didn't however, and was looking Jack up and down. Chris gritted his teeth, and desperately hoped Carlos would return to his date. He was pretty sure he wasn't doing this to stir up trouble, but why was he so interested with Bec's possible date? He had Phoenix whom he had pursued much to Chris's rage. Chris put two and two together, and shook his head. Carlos wouldn't risk his relationship with Phoenix, and go back to…? Chris's shoulders sagged.
'I'm Carlos Oliveira, STARs Alpha team' he heard Carlos say, and saw them shake hands. Chris was glad to see that Jack was barely paying attention to him, and was concentrating on the bathroom door. To Chris's relief, Carlos seemed finished, and nodded to Jack and walked back to his table. Chris sipped his wine; it was going to be a long night.
'Jill what are you doing???' shrieked Bec as soon as the door was shut. The bathroom was empty and Bec turned to face Jill, a mixture of anger and confusion clouding her face. Jill seemed harried and shook her a little, and pursed her lips, as if trying to find the right words. She draped her self casually on the soft couch and grinned at Bec.
'How's everything going with Jack?' asked Jill, pasting a smile on her face.
'Super. At least, it was until you dragged me off here' growled Bec. 'Jill what's up?' she asked suspiciously.
'Oh nothing. I just wanted to hear how you guys were getting on' Jill said, standing up and arranging a bit of Becca's hair.
'That all? You hauled me away in mid sentence to ask me that?' asked Bec, still suspicious, with an incredulous air. She blew air out from her lips nosily and folded her arms, and tapped her toe agitatedly.
Jill swallowed, and stared at the ceiling and tried to think up something to stall her for a little while longer. She suddenly hit upon an idea.
'You know, this is a key part of double dates. Us girls are in the bathroom, and the guys exchange pointers. Chris is putting in a good word for you as we speak' chimed Jill, with an exaggerated air of chirpiness, standing up in the mirror to examine her reflection.
Bec still looked doubtful. Jill thought quickly, and reached into her pocket for her lipstick. She handed it to Bec, who took it with a confused look, and redid her lips. Jill sneaked a look at her watch and decided that Chris had had enough time. She ceremoniously redid her lips, swiped back a lock of hair, and frogmarched a puzzled Becca back to the dinner table. She scanned her eyes over the table, and noticed Carlos was back at his table, for the time being.
Jill sat down at her seat tiredly, sharing a weary glance at Chris. So much for a relaxing dinner.
Carlos was staring at a picture of the Pantheon, and not really paying any attention to Phoenix's banter. He avoided the need to keep turning around and looking at Bec and her date, and tried to focus on Phoenix instead. He soon realised there was only so much you could look at someone, and found his thoughts wandering back to Bec's Date.
Jill, as he knew she would, had selected the best possible guy. This guy was in all respects the most suitable date. Jack had the spiky blond hair, blue eyed innocence and chiselled chin thing going on, and was the talking type. Carlos's rival. But he couldn't exactly be called a rival, Carlos was no longer playing for Becca, he had Phoenix. But he couldn't help glancing at her, smiling in her little black dress, her eyes shining and her lips so full and smooth…Carlos shook thoughts of her from his mind as he realised Phoenix had asked him a question.
'Are you excited about the dance?' she asked him brightly, pausing from her stream of chatter to drink her wine.
'Who isn't? Of course, I'll be taking the best girl' he said, automatically reaching for one of her small hands. Phoenix accordingly giggled and blushed, and Carlos felt his warmth for Phoenix return, but couldn't resist turning around and taking a look at Bec, who was smiling, laughing at something that Jack had said.
Chris and Jill were holding conference at their side of the table. A conference lacking the main qualities of a conference, such as loud angry voices and endless arguing, which might have occurred if they hadn't had to whisper the whole thing.
'We can't keep dodging for the whole damn evening!' hissed Chris, drumming his fingers on the oak table, trying to get his point across.
'What do we do then? Let her see him and get upset? Ruin her mood? Hell, she's having fun, I don't want him coming over and fucking things up!' retorted Jill, grabbing Chris's fingers, as his drumming was starting to drum into her skull.
'He won't come up and try to ruin things, I'm here, and he wouldn't dare!' insisted Chris, desperately trying to get his fingers free from Jill's tight grasp.
'But seeing him might upset her, he's with Phoenix and she wouldn't enjoy herself after that he's here' interjected Jill, holding Chris's fingers in a vice grip. Onlookers were giving their table funny looks, the contrast between each half distinctly different. Two happy, sunny people indulging in light-hearted flirting, and two other people having a heated fight, while the female was trying to crush the male's fingers.
'Leave it. We won't do anything, he doesn't look like he's going to make a move over here' reported Jill, craning her neck to check Carlos's position. He wasn't making any movement to walk over to their table, but every so often, his eye strayed, and he looked idly around the room.
Chris was about to reply to her, but decided to change the subject, trying to salvage some pleasure out of the meal for themselves, it had been a long time since they'd been out anywhere fancy. It had turned into a Carlos-watching-session, but Chris would be damned if a little thing like that ruined his date with Jill.
'Those two seem to have hit off well' remarked Chris, finally freeing his fingers from Jill's grasp, and sipping his wine. Becca was giggling, as Jack was relating some story of what had happened to him last summer, about catching two men in a car doing something Chris couldn't quite picture.
'I pride myself on my match-making skills' Jill quipped, smiling at the happy pair.
The man, who had greeted them at the door, was bringing the dishes they had ordered. He set one plate down, and quickly picked it up in surprise, apologising profusely.
'Sorry, dis is for Mr Oliveira, your food is following soon' he assured them, scooping up the plates and heading over to Carlos's table.
Jill could have thrown herself on the floor and cussed from here to Abu Dhabi, but held it in and stared at Chris open mouthed, his expression much the same. Dodging Carlos successfully and then being slipped up by a damn waiter, so much for plans. They were pretty much blown to shit. Chris pasted a happy smile on his face and motioned to Jill to do the same, hopefully Becca hadn't noticed, but she had.
Bec tried to discreetly locate where Carlos's table was situated, while continue her conversation with Jack as if nothing had happened. He hadn't given a second thought to the name Oliveira and was joking on like he was before. Bec wouldn't have noticed either, but the way Jill and Chris positively drooped when they had heard the name had alerted her that something was up.
'And then he said, 'Toilet broken, please use floor below' cracked Jack, Bec paused briefly to stare into his flashing blue eyes, and to laugh, but then resumed looking to Carlos's table. She finally found it, next to the picture of the Pantheon. The main giveaway was Phoenix, dressed in a black tube top and a long black skirt, her long red hair making her look distinguished.
'I could never contend with her' thought Bec, as she tried to pay attention to Jack. She decided at the next free moment, she would breeze up to the table and greet Carlos, make small talk then breeze back. It would be a declaration to show she had moved on, and could talk to him without disintegrating.
Bec watched like an eagle, and saw that Phoenix and gone to the ladies room, and decided to breeze past Carlos. She excused herself from Jack and strode confidently over to Carlos's table.
Jill had seen Phoenix go into the lady's room and decided to stir up some trouble. She wanted to drag a little fun out of the evening for herself, and her mind was working fast. She set her wine glass down and decided to head to the lady's room. Chris caught her eye, and stopped her.
'Jill, don't' he got out, before Jill smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders.
'Don't worry, I won't be too bad' she said, batting her eyelashes. She winked and walked across to the bathrooms, leaving Chris with images of Phoenix emerging minus an arm or a leg.
'Hey' said a soft voice at Carlos's elbow. He turned around, and about to make a comment about Phoenix completing bathroom rituals in a record breaking time. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly when he realised it was Becca.
'Hey, having fun?' he asked automatically, his eyes straying across her body. He had never seen her in a dress before, and it clung to her petit form neatly and flattered her figure.
'Yeah, great. This is a nice place, huh?' she asked nonchalantly, smiling.
'Great. Not one those tacky places you find downtown sometimes,' agreed Carlos. He couldn't keep his eyes off her legs, they were longer than he thought, and shimmered from underneath her flesh coloured stockings.
'Nice seeing you' she said sweetly, nodding to him and walking back to her table. Carlos watched her hips roll slightly as she walked, her heels tapping on the floor and her slim, creamy legs flowing smoothly. He sat back and waited for Phoenix to come back, shutting his eyes briefly to store up a mental picture of Becca's svelte form to keep in his mind.
Jill looked into the bathrooms and spotted Phoenix immediately. She was the only person in the bathrooms, apart from Jill. It wasn't hard to miss her either, being very unique with almost waist length red hair, and stylish clothes. She appearing to putting money into one of the machines at the other end of the room, and when she moved away to pull out whatever product she had ordered, it happed to be the condom machine.
Jill watched gleefully as she conspicuously stuffed them in her handbag, and walked over to the mirror to reapply her lipstick. Now it was time to go in for the kill.
'Hey, you must be Phoenix' said Jill brightly, holding out one of her hands. Phoenix jumped when she heard the voice at her elbow, and was startled at seeing Jill. She shook hands and smiled though.
'And who are you?' she asked sweetly, after shaking Jill's hand.
'I'm Jill, I work with Carlos at the RPD' replied Jill, nodding.
'Oh. I'm here on a date with him' she said sweetly, applying her lipstick.
'Carlos is a real joker, isn't he?' remarked Jill as she idly combed her hair.
'Yeah. He sure does make me laugh' agreed Phoenix, as she capped her lipstick.
'The stuff he does' said Jill, examining her fingernails.
'What does he usually do when he's around you guys?' asked Phoenix, intrigued.
'He likes to streak a lot' said Jill breezily, all blue eyed innocence.
'Streak?' asked Phoenix uncertainly.
'Yeah, he's got a real reputation in Robertsville for it. He can't wait for baseball season, that's when his prime time is' said Jill, carefully choosing her words.
'Carlos didn't say anything about that to me' she said, a worried frown forming on her brow. Jill picked up a hint of worry in her voice, and pounced on it gleefully.
'He's probably waiting to surprise you! But he has so many hobbies as well' Jill carried on, trailing off and absently nibbling a cuticle.
'I like a guy who has hobbies' said Phoenix lovingly, her face dreamy. Jill grinned mischievously, and prepared to deliver her bait.
'Sewage systems is his main love in life' related Jill, trying not to laugh at Phoenix's horrified gaze.
'Sewage systems?' she stuttered, wringing her bag strap tightly.
'Oh yeah, he knows the whole lot when it comes to Sewage Systems. He could tell me off the top of his head where each separate house's waste leads to' Jill rattled on, trying to seem oblivious to Phoenix's reactions.
'Did you hear about that man who was killed by a snake out fishing?' said Phoenix swiftly changing the subject.
'You mean the snake was fishing as well?' asked Jill all big-eyed innocence.
She hadn't meant to be cruel, but Phoenix's sweet outlook and sugary voice was getting on her nerves. Phoenix's voice wasn't exactly annoying, but it drove her crazy, listening to the high, twinkly voice and girlish giggle had begun to get to her. At the rebuke, Phoenix merely pursed up her lips and shrugged. Jill felt a twinge of guilt at being wiseguy as Phoenix was a genuinely nice girl. She didn't have a chance to apologise as Phoenix had swept up her stuff and left the room as dignified as a peacock.
Jill stared into the mirror at her reflection and eventually left the bathroom. As she opened the door she mused about how much conflict that mirror had seen. It had certainly seen a lot this evening.
'You were gone a long time' observed Carlos as a flustered looking Phoenix returned to the table after a long period of time in the bathroom. Her movements were jerky as she snapped her bag close, set it down on the floor and sat in her seat, glaring slightly at Carlos.
'I was talking to one of your friends' she replied darkly, sipping her wine.
Carlos was still thinking of Becca in her dress, and didn't register the conviction in Phoenix's voice. He couldn't stop thinking about her large, brooding grey eyes and barely noticed Phoenix's comment.
'Oh you did? Have fun?' he asked distractedly, pretending to examine his cuffs when he was sneaking looks at Becca, who was laughing at something Jack had just said. The sound of her sweet, light laughter was like nectar to his ears, and he strained to here what her youthful voice was saying.
'She told me about your interesting hobbies' hinted Phoenix again, her characteristic cheeriness gone, and in its place was a questioning frown. Carlos finally to keep his concentration on Phoenix and detected a note of accusation in her voice.
'What kind of hobbies was she telling you about?' he questioned; racking his brain thinking of the possible things Jill could have said. It must have been Jill as he was talking to Becca, and she had gone straight back to her table. He dreaded what Jill could have said, she was renowned for being venomous, and possessing the casualness correctness and words that were like poison daggers.
'Streaking. Sewage Systems' stated Phoenix simply, before reaching for his hand and grasping it with an intenseness that shocked Carlos.
'She said that??!?' Carlos nearly squeaked, his voice reduced to a girly squeak. He glanced across at Chris and Jill's table and caught Jill's gaze. She winked and stuck her tongue out, having successfully scared Carlos's date.
'Now honey. I love you as you are and you're a great person and' said Phoenix slowly, squeezing his hand softly and smiling slightly. Carlos stroked her hand and run his other hand through his hair.
'That's just Jill trying to make me look stupid' said Carlos lightly, a smile creeping up his face. He mentally cursed Jill and he could understand why Phoenix had looked so riled when she had emerged from the bathroom. If Phoenix did streaking and sewage systems, he'd probably be feeling the same way.
'She wasn't exactly nice either' said Phoenix staring down at where Carlos was holding her hands. A worried frown creased her brow and Carlos did a double take. Jill wouldn't have been openly mean. It wasn't her style. Her quips and scoff is what she used to damage the enemy.
'Jill's an ice queen when she wants to be. But she really isn't like that, she tough and kind, I'm sure she didn't mean to appear that way' reassured Carlos, comforting Phoenix and defending Jill at the same time, much to his surprise.
'Your probably right' replied Phoenix. She finally smiled fully, and Carlos dropped his head and kissed her hands lightly, brushing his lips across the backs of her hands slightly.
'Shall we eat?' asked Carlos, gesturing to the pasta that had gone cold a long time ago. Phoenix nodded and they both started to pick at their meal.
'Jill's been gone a long time' thought Chris, looking at his watch. Nothing terrible could have happened, he would have yelled screams of pain and agony by now and Jill would have stormed out demanding the largest knife in the kitchen.
His thoughts of Jill left when he saw Becca approach Carlos's table. He felt himself tense, waiting for the explosion to happen, and for the happy look on her face to be replaced by a wistful, sad expression. It didn't though. He couldn't see Carlos's face, but Becca seemed animated and cheery, oozing enthusiasm and nonchalant grace. He picked this moment when both women were away from the table to interrogate Jack.
'Dude, what do think of Bec?' asked Chris, as if talking to a buddy in the locker room at high school. He noticed that Jack's eyes never left Becca and he felt a surge of triumph.
'She's great. She seems friendly, sweet and funny. Nice looking too' nodded Jack, still staring at Bec.
'Not nice to stare' he commented lightly, poking Jack's back.
'Kinda hard not to when the girl sitting opposite you could be Nicole Kidman's double. Damn, she's fine' remarked Jack as Bec talked to Carlos.
'Keep going that way, and you'll have her. Play it nice though, she's shy. And don't do anything drastic' said Chris warningly, hinting that Jack would be on the receiving end of Chris's strong fist if he acted differently. Jack cocked up an eyebrow and grinned.
Becca strode purposefully back to the table and resumed conversation with Jack quickly, the happy smile stretching across her features. Chris smiled to himself and congratulated Bec for her braveness at approaching Carlos by nodding at her across the table. Bec winked back before delving back into conversation with Jack. Those two could talk forever, mused Chris as Jill returned to the table, a mischievous light in her face.
'You didn't complete diminish her, did you?' asked Chris teasingly, as Jill settled in her seat, blue eyes shining and that smile on her lips that signalled mischief.
'I wasn't that brutal' condescended Jill with an air of grace as she daintily sipped her wine. 'When's the food coming?' she asked after a beat, eager to change the subject.
'Soon, we've been sitting here for around forty minutes' said Chris, checking his watch. 'When you left to pester Phoenix, Bec went and talked to Carlos' he said, his voice low.
'And?' asked Jill curiously, leaning forward to catch what Chris had said. The din of the restaurant was almost deafening as some customers were rowing with the manager over something related to the food.
'Fine. Let's give Carlos a break, if Bec can forgive him, then all of can too' replied Chris. As the words left his mouth, he was surprised that he was sticking up for the Spanish Amigo. Carlos was his friend, but the few skirmishes they had had were quite memorable to him and many of the others, usually finishing with Carlos nursing a black eye and Chris in a simmering rage.
'Okay. Bec has Jack, he has Phoenix, everything's worked out' agreed Jill, sitting back in her chair. The noise of the row had quietened down, and they could hear the lilting violin tunes playing out on the radio, and the clink of cutlery and the cheerful babble of the dining customers. A different waiter approached them carrying plates of the food they had ordered on each arm. He served them and left, wishing that they enjoyed their food. Chris politely thanked him and they settled down to eat.
'Thank you Mr Oliveira, please sign here' said the waiter as Carlos paid the bill. The date had gone fine, he mused, except for Jill's little interruption. He'd also enjoyed looking at Bec, shining and radiant, dressed immaculately and tastefully. He turned to face Phoenix who had her long black coat on over her snug black tube top. He finished paying the bill, caught hold of her hand and walked out towards the car.
'Damn' muttered Phoenix as she strapped in her seat belt.
'What?' asked Carlos as he rustled the car keys and started the ignition.
'I would have liked to see you streak' remarked Phoenix coyly, mock pouting her lips at Carlos. Carlos responded by leaning over and kissing her softly, darting out his tongue slightly and brushing it across her lips, giving her a taster of what was to come.
'Mi Chica, don't be sure about that' he remarked lightly, winking at her. 'Shall I drop you home?' he asked, starting the engine.
'My car's at your house' she said, looking unconcernedly out of the window.
'Come back to mine for coffee?' he drawled, cocking up an eyebrow, hoping she would get his drift.
'And perhaps a little more than that, I might actually get to see you streak' replied Phoenix accordingly, winking at him from behind a veil of red hair that was hanging loosely over a velvet brown eye.
'Naughty Chica' mused Carlos out loud, grinning to himself as he drove back home.
'Great night out' commented Jack as the foursome left the restaurant. It was quarter past nine, and it was still light. They walked down to the parked cars, chatting easily, the click of heels on the pavement making a din in the otherwise quiet evening.
'Bec, need a lift home?' asked Jack nonchalantly, as they reached where their cars were parked.
'Sure' answered Bec, waiting next to Jack's blue hatchback. Jill gave a look, and Bec nodded confidently back.
'Thanks for coming out tonight Jack' said Chris as he opened his car's door.
'It was great. Great choice for tonight, Jill' he said waving to Jill who was in the passenger seat. Jill waved back and grinned. Chris and Jill drove off, leaving Bec and Jack.
Jack stepped in front of Bec and opened the passenger seat for her, and then went around to the driver's side. Bec climbed into the modest hatchback and slammed the door, and deftly fastened her seat belt. Jack adjusted his then started the car, reversing it out of the restaurant's car park. They drove past the rural part of Robertsville, the valleys and rivers, the sunset bathing the whole area in pools of crimson and orange.
'Looks like someone got busy with a paint brush' remarked Jack as the drove past the pretty scenery.
'Beautiful' sighed Bec happily.
He stopped outside Bec's house and parked the car. He got out and opened the door for Bec, always the gentleman mused Bec as they walked up the driveway to her small house. Jack hold of her hand, and they walked up to her door hand in hand.
'I had a great time tonight' said Bec, as they stood outside her door. Jack raised Bec's hand to her lips and kissed it lightly.
'So did I' he said after a beat of comfortable silence, the sound of birds chirping in the late sun. He opened his mouth and Bec waited, as he seemed to be searching for the right words.
'Say, are is anyone taking you to the dance?' he asked rubbing the back of neck shyly. Bec felt her face light up and she grinned.
'Nope. But if your offering….' She said, leaving an open end, trying to curb her excitement.
'So, how about if I take you then?' Jack said quickly, his words coming out in a rush. Bec said nothing but reached up and slid her arms around his neck, and he responded by wrapping his around her waist and pulling her close to his body. Bec rested her head on his chest, just above his heart. They stood like that for a moment, getting used to the feeling of they bodies pressed close. Jack drew back after a moment and loosely draped his arms around her waist.
'I take that's a yes, then' he laughed, stroking her cheek softly. Bec felt her face grow warm and nodded, unable to speak. He continued to stroke her cheek, and then leaned in and Bec found herself stepping closer to him. There lips met she closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She pulled away after a moment and smiled coyly at him.
'Well I better be going' she said unlocking her front door.
'Okay. We have to meet up again sometime' said Jack, his cheeks slightly pink from the kiss.
'I'd like that' replied Bec, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face. Jack nodded back and he began walking back to his car, and Bec entered her house. She kicked off her heels and locked the door and ran singing up the stairs to her bedroom.
'Someone up there does love me' mused Bec as she struggled out of her dress into her nightshirt. She paused in front of the mirror, and what she saw pleased her. A confident, bright-faced girl replaced the bundle of insecurities and misgivings she usually saw. Pleased with her observations, she hopped down stairs to make herself a mug of hot chocolate, unable to keep the spring out of her step.
It was around midnight when Phoenix had finally fallen asleep, and Carlos slipped out of bed and went down stairs to get a glass of water. He opened the fridge and got some ice out, and dropped two cubes into his glass, sipped it thoughtfully. He and Phoenix had come back to his house, under the pretence of having coffee and had winded up in bed. Carlos drank some more of the cool liquid, savoring the refreshing taste. He slumped against the kitchen unit and tried to get his head together.
The moon outside had become obscured by clouds, the dull glow escaping from behind the cloud blanket matched his feelings accordingly. Phoenix had been invigorating. He had almost felt her fiery spirit enter him and swim his body, the fire from the bird that rose from the ashes. But when he looked down, he kept on imagining Becca's face looking up at him, her eyes full of love and passion…her body close to his. Carlos drained the last of the glass and hauled himself up from the floor.
His mind was confused. One moment he was ready to run away into the sunset with Phoenix, next he was fantasizing about Becca. He loved both of them for different reasons, and he couldn't decide which he wanted. Phoenix was full of soft fire, curvy and sweet, and Becca was sensitive and innocent, petit and cute. His decision had basely been made for him, as Becca had seemed to be enjoying herself with Jack and he had more or less committed himself to the girl who was sleeping upstairs in his bed.
Without another thought, Carlos padded up the stairs and slid into bed next to his sleeping goddess, and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She murmured something in her sleep and he kissed the nape of her neck lightly, before falling asleep himself.
Chicky Sez: Wheeeeew! That was long! Sorry it took so long to get out, I had a lot of work on concerning an experiment that needed constant observation. What do you guys think? This is pretty long compared to the others, but I like to get events ove rin one chapter, and have stuff neatly arranged like that. Stay tuned for what happens next in Robertsville!
Sayonara…xXx Chicky Tifa