Resident Evil: Tangled Web

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Two

The waitress at the diner looked slightly wary of them when they seated themselves at the counter. Claire couldn't determine if the reaction was to Elliott's unkempt appearance or to the biker-esque outfit that Claire herself was wearing. Nevertheless, the twosome had their orders in within seconds.

After the waitress moved away towards the coffeemaker, Elliott pivoted slightly on his barstool so he was facing Claire. "So, rather than starting off with banal chitchat, let me try to guess three things about you to see how accurately I have you pegged so far." He leaned to the side, planting his elbow on the counter, resting his chin against his fist, and silently studying her for a moment. "Again, I wasn't trying to intrude on your call, but your brother is in pursuit of someone dangerous, which would suggest he is either in law enforcement or military... You are not quick to trust people, but you are nevertheless open-minded."

Elliott seemed to stretch for a third factoid before hesitantly saying, "And, you don't have any children of your own yet, but it is an option that you would like to explore someday."

It took her a moment to find her voice, she was so stunned. For only having spent a few minutes with her, he'd deduced quite a bit. The waitress returned with their coffees - decaf with milk and honey for Elliott, black caffeinated for Claire. With a smile, Claire stated, "You're good."

He returned her smile, opening up the small sealed packet of honey next to his own cup and stirring it in with a spoon. "Glad to know I haven't lost my touch."

She raised an eyebrow. "This is a common practice for you on a first date?" she asked in a surprisingly calm voice, though she soon silently berated herself for using the word, 'date'.

Elliott shook his head. "Forgive me, Claire. I did not mean to imply that." He raised his cup to his lips, taking a quick sip and wincing slightly as though he'd burned himself. "Reading people has always been something I've been quite good at. That last one, however, was a bit of a lucky guess on my part."

Claire gave a small, entertained laugh. "Well, seeing as I don't have that ability, I'd say it's your turn to tell me about you," she responded, blowing into her cup.

Elliott chuckled slightly. "Well, let's see... My family and I are originally from England, as you may have guessed. We moved to the States when my siblings and I were still very young. I have four sisters – three older, one younger - and two older brothers. And, against my father's wishes, I have a degree in Journalism."

Claire set her cup back on the counter. "How is it that you still have an accent then?"

"Partially because my parents never lost theirs, and partly because an old, er, acquaintance of mine said she found it attractive," Elliott answered. "That aside, I would be someone who has no wish to forget where I came from."

Claire chose not to question if the old 'acquaintance' was an ex-girlfriend. She didn't want to come across as too forward. She politely declined when their waitress came back around to ask if they'd like anything else, then noted, "I would think you'd prefer tea over coffee in that case."

He shrugged. "Now there's a stereotype if I ever heard one."

"Touché," Claire answered. "What field did your father want you to pursue?"

Elliott cleared his throat. "Same as my brothers. Either business or law, or both. You could say that my father is stuck in his ways and can't imagine wanting any other career. As a result, he'll barely say a word to me at family gatherings."

Claire lowered her gaze, wondering what her own father may say of her and Chris' career choices if he were still around. "Don't get me wrong, Claire," Elliott said quickly, clearly misinterpreting her look of melancholy. "In spite of what he thinks, I'm content with my decision. I don't need his approval in order to be happy."

She hesitated, idly running her thumb across the rim of the cup. She debated whether or not to clue him in, but decided that it may be too heavy-handed for a first date. Again, she silently reprimanded herself (Stop using the word, 'date', Redfield!) and looked back up at him when he broke the silence. "So, what is it that you do for a living?"

With a small smile pulling at her lips, she answered, "I work for a non-profit human rights organization." This time, it was he that raised an eyebrow. She had anticipated that and went on to say, "I know, not the typical way to earn a paycheck, but I earn enough income to pay the bills. And, my brother Chris is always there willing to help me out if finances get tight." She took another sip of her coffee and looked up at him with a more cheerful gaze. "We do good work there, or I wouldn't have signed up."

"Any company I may be aware of?" Elliott asked.

"Terra Save," Claire answered, taking another swig of her coffee before the temperature dropped much more. Elliott shrugged and said he hadn't heard of them, and she asked if he was interested in learning more. When he said yes, she cleared her throat and sat up straight. "The organization got started because of a pharmaceutical company, the Umbrella Corporation... Know of them?"

Elliott nodded. "Given the way they made the news several years back, who doesn't?" he asked rhetorically. "Quite the scandal, the genetic experiments they'd conducted under the radar."

Claire nodded absently. "They ruined a lot of lives," she quietly agreed. "Not the least of which were the people under their employ who had no clue of any wrongdoings... After Umbrella's activities were made known to the public, a former employee of theirs, Carlos Oliveira, wanted to make sure that anyone not involved in the experiments got a fair shake. He became a co-founder of Terra Save. Our company's initial purpose was to help low-level employees of Umbrella find their way in wake of the disaster. We've since come to collaborate with other organizations dedicated to cleaning up the aftermath of Umbrella's mess. It didn't help that much of their research and bio-weapons somehow found their way onto the black market." She saw nothing wrong with sharing this last part. There were enough news reports and rumors out in the world that he was sure to have heard something.

"Sounds like quite the noble cause," Elliott answered. "I must admit, I'd not given much thought to the fact that not all of them could be held accountable." He was silent for a moment, then went on with, "I commend you, Claire, for taking part in saving the world. I don't know many who would put forth the effort to do so."

Claire thanked him. "So, what kind of writing do you do?" she asked.

"I started out writing movie reviews or putting together ads for local theater productions. Currently, I write for an online blog called Odds and Ends. Been there for almost half a year, but have already developed quite the fan base."

It both surprised and delighted her that he was being modest. "I take it you really love it then."

He nodded. "Very much so. I mostly write anecdotes. Things I encounter in my everyday life that are unusual or amusing. It's my hope that it hits the same notes with my readers. I would say, even if I never become world-renowned, I enjoy entertaining people."

She smiled ever so slightly. "I'll have to look up some of your work sometime. Would it be under your own name or a pseudonym?"

"My name. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it online." He looked into his cup, which he had periodically been taking sips from as they'd talked, and idly remarked that it was empty. Looking back at her, Elliott stated, "I thank you for agreeing to join me, Claire. It's been a pleasure getting to know you."

"Same here." She gestured to the shopping bag containing her gift. "Thanks again for helping me pick something out."

"You're very welcome." He hesitated. "Perhaps we could do this again sometime. The coffee, not the shopping."

Claire blinked. There was something thrilling about the fact that he was interested in her enough to ask. It still took her a moment to nod in agreement. "Sure."

Elliott almost looked relieved that she said yes. He was quick to write his name and phone number on a napkin. Passing it across the counter to her, he commented her on her smile. Claire answered it with a bashful grin and thanked him once more.

Seconds later, Elliott got to his feet, digging out his wallet and signaling the waitress to come over. He handed over four crisp one dollar bills and stated, "This should cover both the young lady's coffee and my own. Anything left over is yours."

Elliott was already turning to leave before it registered with Claire that he was paying for both the drinks. At the realization, she turned to look after him in bewilderment. Guess I should stop denying that this is a date, she thought after he'd walked out the door.