It was on an impulse that you invited her to dinner, figuring spending more time with your subject couldn't hurt. When she agreed easily, she followed it up with asking where. Your mind raced; you hadn't thought this far ahead. Without thinking, you blurted out the name of a restaurant that Dr. Leekie had taken you to when you arrived in town. It didn't hurt to let 324B21... no, Cosima, enjoy a meal that a struggling PhD student couldn't afford often at the same time.
She'd scrunched her nose up in thought as you walked out of the classroom together. "Meritage? That's uh, kinda out of my budget range."
"Non, you misunderstand. I wanted to ask you to dinner, to thank you for going to the lecture with me. My treat," you implore, smiling as her face lights up. Her sharp canines flash as she mirrors your grin.
"Then hell yeah, I'd love to." She writes her address down for you, of course she would have no way of knowing that you have it memorized already, and you agree to meet at six. She's mumbling to herself, hands waving wildly as she walks off, and you find yourself just standing there, watching as she disappears out of sight.
You head back to your apartment, mentally running through your wardrobe along the way. Immediately, you discard any and all dresses or skirts. Tonight you want to be comfortable. You want to just sit and chat with Cosima, see if you really can make a friend in this brave new world, or if it is simply the best way to watch your subject. You find yourself ready dressed, favorite clunky purse packed as usual, and sit down to do your face and hair. You stop. There is no need to impress Cosima. She's seen your face with your preferred light makeup, and your hair curling everywhere. You run your fingers through your locks, impulsively flipping the part back and forth repeatedly, a nervous habit that you rarely allow yourself to indulge in these days, yet find yourself doing around her quite often.
A glance at the clock shows that you are ready a full half hour before you need to even think of leaving. You sit and start up a report for tonight's encounter, knowing that if it is already started, you will be more likely to finish it before going to bed once you return home. Saving it with just the pertinent details of where and when, you sync it to your work computer before shutting it down. Pulling your bag over your shoulder, you head out to the house on J Street. A beautiful old building that had been converted into single room apartments, you had considered getting a space quite nearby, but had decided to stay farther away, choosing to keep the coincidences down in the hopes of keeping your subject naive as to her monitored status, even though Dr. Leekie suspected that 324B21 was working towards understanding the truth.
But tonight was mostly for Delphine and Cosima, not Dr. Cormier and clone 324B21. Just two students having a rare nice meal and enjoying each other's company. Tripping lightly up the stairs to the third floor, you knock. Five seconds passed. Ten, then fifteen. You are about to check your phone for a text changing the location of your meeting when you hear the door open. Your smiles mirror one another as you say hello.
Then you notice that she is wearing only a black slip, not an actual dress. You obviously had left too early after all, but she assures you that no, she is just 'kinda always late, so kinda always sorry.' Usually, being late would immediately irritate you, but you are too busy glancing around the room that has only been occupied a few months, but looks well lived in. The desk is covered in papers, pens, notes, and a few textbooks. Matching bookshelves each seem to hold parts of an actual encyclopedia, but you spot a split geode, an animal jawbone, an antique microscope, and a few other interesting tidbits as you wait. Books that have obviously been loved are stacked nearly knee high across the room next to a standing mirror. Purple curtains frame the open bedroom area, though you stand with your back to it while she finishes dressing.
"I know, it's a mess," she says as she comes up behind you. A maroon dress with a beaded collar has covered the slip, and she is smiling up at you again as she pulls on her red coat. "When we get back from dinner, we should drink that wine we swiped yesterday."
"I never turn down stolen wine," you answer, following her to the door. "It tastes so much better that way." Her giggle as she locks the door behind you both warms something in you that you hadn't even realized needed thawing. Yes, tonight is about Delphine and Cosima.