Mark got up from the couch, turned the knob and opened the door. There stood a handsome rock star, in a green 'Well Hungarians' T-shirt, ripped jeans with silver chains hanging off them, and his face freshly shaved. He smiled widely when he saw Mark.
"Hey there, stranger," he greeted warmly.
"Hey Roger," said Mark breathlessly. He stared Roger up and down, taking in his rugged physique and clothing, wondering how the hell he ended up on a date with someone like this. Oh yeah, because I lost a bet, he remembered. "So, where are we goin?"
"Oohh, you'll see," said Roger, with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You ready to go?" he asked, his legs shaking excitedly.
"Ummmm yeah, I guess." Mark raised an eyebrow, anxious about what lay in store for him that evening.
"Great!! Let's go!!!" squealed Roger, grabbing his arm and leading him out the door. Mark locked the door to his flat and tried his bets to keep up with the rock star, who was now practically dragging him down the stairs. Finally, they were out of the building and onto the street.
"Where did you park?" asked the young doctor, scanning the entire street.
Roger laughed at his remark. "Park? I don't have a car. I mean I do, but my friend Benny borrowed it for his date with his rich girlfriend Muffy." He pulled Mark down a flight of stairs. "So, I guess were taking the subway then."
"Yip-pee. Sounds like fun," mumbled Mark sarcastically, who cringed at the thought of travelling in an underground breeding ground full of germs, bacteria and hidden nasties. This better be good, he hoped as he and Roger stood on the platform.
"An amusement park??" Mark blurted out as he stared in disbelief at the Ferris wheels, roller coasters, clowns and rides that surrounded him.
"Why not? I thought it would be a fun date. You know, break the ice and all that," said Roger, who skipped over to Mark with two entry passes in his hand. "Besides, I just had to take advantage of the two for one deal this week," he said, giggling.
"Well I'm glad you made use of it, because I'm not going on a single ride," said Mark, crossing his arms firmly over his chest, his forehead crinkling with his frown.
Roger gently shook him by the arm, his face forming a pout. "Awwww come on. Not even one?? I promise you'll enjoy it."
But Mark shook his head. "No. I do not do amusement parks. I'm not going."
But an hour later, Mark found himself strapped on the rollercoaster, clinging onto the metal bar for dear life while screaming his lungs out. "HHHEEELLLPPPPP!!! GET ME OFF THIS THIIINGG!!! HHOOLLLYYYYY CCRRAAAAAAAPP!!!"
But Roger, however, was yelling something more along the lines of, "WWHHHOOOOOOHHHOOOOOO!!!! RIDE 'EM, COWBOY!! THAT'S THE WAY TO GO!!! YYYEEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" while pumping his fist in the air. Obviously, he was enjoying this much more than what Mark was. Finally, the ride ended and all the passengers were let off one by one.
"Holy fuck, that was so much fun!!" gasped the rock star as he jumped out of the little car and onto solid ground, giggling and shaking like an excited 8-year-old.
"Fun??? You call that fun?? I can feel my breakfast and lunch crawling up my throat!!" huffed Mark, who tried to find a bench to sit on. Roger ran behind him to keep up.
"Come on, now. When was the last time you ever gave yourself an adrenaline rush?" said Roger breathlessly.
"A what??' asked the young Jew incredulously, plopping himself on a wooden bench to catch his breath.
"It's that feeling that you get when you do something really really scary, or energetic, or crazy," Roger explained as he sat himself down next to Mark. "That's the feeling that I get whenever I perform onstage with my band. I tell ya, it's like nothing else." He bent down to quickly tie his shoelace. "You should try it sometime. It'll be real good for you."
"Yeah, maybe," mumbled Mark, nodding his head.
"So, whaddaya wanna ride next??" asked Roger, eagerly sitting up.
Mark blinked at him. "You mean, after the giant Ferris wheel, the Dragon Boat, the bumper cars, the Spooky Tunnel and the Jungle Maze, you still have energy left for more??"
"Uhh huh," said Roger, grinning and nodding excitedly. "But maybe we can take a break before that. You hungry?"
"Well yeah, but there's no way I'm eating corn dogs or deep-fried chicken wings or any of that vile crap," said Mark, shuddering at the sight of all the fast food stalls around him.
"That's okay. I'm sure there's something healthier," said Roger. The two of them walked down the food court until they found a salad bar that sold healthy food. Mark got a turkey and salad sandwich and a fresh-squeezed pineapple juice while Roger got a cheeseburger and fries and a Coke, and the two sat at a table and ate together.
"So, what's with all the crankiness, Doc?" asked Roger, chewing a French fry.
"What?" asked Mark, his eyebrows rising out of his head.
"I mean, like, what's with all your uptightness? Like getting angry over the smallest things and nitpicking and stuff. I mean, ever try just loosening up and going with the flow?" Roger looked expectantly at the young Jew.
Mark sighed as he bit into his sandwich. "I dunno. I mean, I'm Jewish, so I've got people from all angles looking at me and making sure I'm clean and good at all times. And then there's the job, which requires me to be real quick and sharp and on my toes constantly. Not to mention, my studies for a PhD degree too." He took a sip of his juice and went back to his sandwich. "I guess I just don't how to loosen up."
"Well, then it's a good thing I brought you here. I'm gonna help you loosen up," declared Roger, draining the last sips of his Coke. He finished his fries and the last bite of his cheeseburger and stood up. "So, do you wanna go on another ride or just play a game?"
"Oh, a game would be nice," said Mark, who had had enough of rides. He finished his sandwich and juice, threw the rubbish away, and walked into the games arena. The first thing that attracted Roger was a basketball game, where one had to throw as many basketballs as they could into a flaming volcano, which was meant to be the basket.
"OOhhh cool!! Watch me, Mark! I am gonna kick ass!!" said Roger excitedly. He missed the first three balls, which cause Mark to giggle slightly. But with determination, he managed to slam dunk nine balls into the volcano/basket. This won a round of applause from the crowd, and a pick of any toy from the wall. Roger walked up Mark and asked him:
"Ok. Which one do you like?"
Mark looked confusedly at him. "Which one do I like? You're the one who won it!!"
Roger shrugged. "Well yeah I know, but I can't choose because I like them all. So you choose."
Mark scanned the entire wall until his eyes came to rest on a fluffy, grey-and-white stuffed Siberian Husky, with shiny glassy eyes and a pink tongue hanging out of it's mouth. "That one," he said, pointing to said toy.
Roger nodded, and soon he was holding this particular stuffed dog in his hands. He handed it to Mark dramatically. "For you," he said, with a smile.
Mark blinked at the puppy, a slight blush creeping over his face, then at Roger. "Ohh, thank you. You… you didn't have to…but, thank you so much," he whispered, taking the stuffed puppy from him and cradling it in his arms while stroking it's soft white fur. "I'm gonna name him Randolph."
Roger giggled. "Sounds great. Hey Randolph," he said, pretending to shake the puppy's paw. The two of them giggled, then decided it was late and they had to go home.
A half an hour later, they were back on the subway, with the stuffed Husky in tow and ice cream cones which they were just finishing off. Roger walked Mark back up the stairs and to his house.
"Hey, thanks a lot for that, Roger. It was fun," said Mark, clutching the puppy close to him and he opened the door to his house. "I should really do stuff like that more often."
"Yeah, you should," said Roger, smiling and he held the door open for Mark. Once he was inside, the two stared awkwardly at each other.
"Well then," said Mark, shifting his weight from one foot to another. "Umm, good night. Thanks again."
"No problem," purred Roger, smiling widely at him. "Good night, Doc." He gave Mark a one-finger salute as he made his way down the stairs. Mark smiled back and waved at him before closing the door behind him.
Collins lay on the couch, half-asleep, when Mark walked in. "What the fuck did you do, Mark? Babysit your nephew?" he quipped, gesturing toward the stuffed puppy.
"Shut up, Collins," said Mark, flinging a cushion at him playfully. "I went on a date."
"Oh really? Tell me about it," said the professor, his ears perking up.
"Tomorrow. Right now, I need to sleep," said Mark, who retired to his bedroom, placed Randolph near the foot of his bed, undressed, brushed his teeth, and fell into a deep, well-deserved sleep.
So tell me...was it a nice date? Use the button on the bottom to do so...