The Perk, Thursday Afternoon

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

Henry had, as promised, brought an ostentatiously thick book to read while he waited for Cindy.

War & Peace really gained something the third time through, anyhow. He sat near a window, stealing sips of latter and glances out the window as he waited for his ... was this a date? It felt like one, anyhow.

He supposed that was a question for Cindy to answer.

[OOC: For She of the Shoe Collection, but it is an open Perk!]

Comments

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"He is completely insane," Henry said with some admiration. "I appreciate that he's up front with it."

He shuddered. "I bet he leaves the caps lock on."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"And types as little as possible, substituting 'u' and '2' and '4' whenever he can," Cindy said, nodding. "'What u up 2 2day?' and the like."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"I think the only person who can get away with that is Prince." Henry declared firmly. "And that's only because he is a genius."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"Which Prince, exactly?" Cindy said.

She tried, but there were only so many Mundy artists she could keep up with.

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"The singer?" Henry said. "Are you one of those people who doesn't pay attention to music?"

He was curious, not hostile.

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

Cindy gave him a disarming grin and shrugged. "Guilty as charged," she admitted. "If you heard what I liked for music, you'd be convinced I came to Fandom directly from the 50's."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"What do you like for music?" Henry asked promptly. "It's a hobby of mine. The parts of my apartment that aren't covered in books are covered in CDs, but I promise not to judge."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"Honestly?" Cindy said, a little embarrassed anyway, "I like a lot of Doo Wop and the early rock and roll. I have a lot of love for the swing and jazz of the thirties and forties, and Doo Wop is kind of the natural extension of that or, at least, that's what my mun is saying, based on like 5 seconds of internet searches."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"I love swing and jazz," Henry answered, ignoring the bits he found embarassiong. "Opera, too. My mom was a singer. But I'm a punk diehard."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"Punk?" Cindy had heard of the genre but couldn't name a single song. "You've reached one of my vast realms of musical ignorance, I'm afraid. Though swing and jazz..." she gave Henry a speculative glance. "I don't suppose you can dance, too?"

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"I'll make you a CD." Oh, Cindy. Fear. "And yes, I can dance. Whether I can dance well is a different question, but as long as you don't mind havig your feet stepped on once or twice..."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"I can probably survive it," Cindy said, laughing. "Though I have a right to demand drinks as compensation after the third, all right?"

She took another long sip of her coffee. "And a CD would be nice--though you'll have to explain everything to me, you know that, right?" Just dig the hole deeper, Cindy.

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

Henry smiled at her slowly. "Oh, I think I could put up with that -- the drinks and the explaining."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

Cindy grinned back. "Throw in dinner and it sounds like a truly wonderful evening actually."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"Tell me when and I'll be there." No, wait. "Actually, is that a date?"

Henry hadn't been on a date in a decade. He was rusty. Not averse, but rusty.

"I'm sorry, Cindy. I'm still figuring out the rules."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

Cindy was just as rusty. She hadn't been on a date--a real date, as opposed to something for her cover--since before she married Bluebeard. "I don't know," she admitted. "Is it? Dinner and dancing is fairly date-like, but it doesn't have to be." She looked up at him with understanding eyes. "You have a lot to figure out, I know."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"I do," Henry agreed. "And Clare and I haven't filed papers yet, and ... I don't want to hurt you."

He tried his tea again. It helped him think, and it kept his hands busy.

"I want to date you if you're okay knowing -- and I feel like the heel of all time just saying this -- I'm not ready for anything serious. If not, we can go as friends."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

Cindy's mouth quirked up in a grin. "Is it rude to say that I don't think you're ready for anything serious yet?" she asked.

And if it turned serious, she'd have to sabotage the relationship anyway, before it jeopardized her cover. "You've been married to Clare for years. You shouldn't jump from one serious relationship to the next--" said the queen of relationships here "--and I certainly don't want to be your rebound girl. Serious wouldn't be good for either of us."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"It can't be rude to tell the truth," Henry said. It seemed more polite than oh thank god. "Well, it can, but ... what I am trying to say is that I agree to dinner, dancing, and absolutely nothing more serious."

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

"To nothing more serious," Cindy said, raising her glass. "No no expectations, rules, or anything else beyond a damn good time."

[one-who-goes.livejournal.com]

"To a damn good time."

Some part of Henry was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Henry told that part to hush. Now was now.

[steel-not-glass.livejournal.com]

Cindy would probably just add that shoe to her collection anyway

And for her part, Cindy was already mourning her almost-inevitable betrayal. But nothing of that showed on her face. Now was now, indeed.