Destress/Restress

[Darryl Bond]

He reclined his head as she did to him, thanking him for his compliment. He didn't feel that it was necessary to reply to that and say 'you're welcome,' because he felt that would just be too much. He spun the cup around slowly with his finger pushing against the handle. He looked at the sugar that didn't mix in and he grinned as it was a good millimeter or so.

He saw her surprised reaction, and that was the indicator to start him worrying and preparing to back track. She was surprised because she hadn't thought of it. Now, she was also either surprised because it hadn't happened in a long time, or she hadn't even began to thought of him in that sort of 'go on a date' type. He wasn't sure which he was actually more worried about. She hid from him with the perfect excuse of cleaning out her cup, which furthered his freting over that mistake but once she turned back to him, she seemed excited about the idea. He was relieved, but that wasn't visible as his worrying wasn't either.

He was tempted to retract on the dinner because he still wasn't sure if she didn't like the idea or not, and experience told him that women were a lot less likely to cancel on a 'date' over coffee than a dinner. But, she also used the word 'lovely.' She asked him if he had a place in mind, and he immediately went through the list of nearby venus and decided the bistro, Julie Ann's, was the better choice. "The bistro?" He asked with a clear question, "Down on East main?" He wasn't sure if she knew the place by name, but surely she was aware of the big blue sign that said, 'Bistro.' On it. And as for when? Darryl's classes weren't that difficult, but they were also all in the morning and while he didn't expect anything from their date, he was pretty sure he'd get home later than when he went to sleep anyway. "On...Friday? At seven?"

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Clarisse thought long and hard on her limited knowledge of Pilot Ridge. On a mental map she strolled down East Main, looking for any indication of the restaurant Darryl was speaking of. Then the picture hit her. There was a lovely oval sign hanging out side of the bistro, and though she was sure the little place had a name, Clarisse figured that was it. It was a nice little place. Not too much or too little. A nice in-between playing field for what Clarisse was still trying to convince herself wasn’t a date.

Noting the time in her head, Clarisse quickly scanned the room for a pen. If this was going to happen, she was doing to do it right. Knowing her poor sense of direction, even journeying to a well signed bistro could get her loss. Walking to the table she’d been sitting at when she’d first entered the lounge, Clarisse snatched up her pen and took off the cap. “I will be there. It isn’t a far walk for me, but just in case…”

Boldly, she took his left hand gently by the wrist, scrawling her name and phone number in the flesh part of his palm. She hoped he was right handed so that it wouldn’t rub off easily. “If I get lost. You can check up on me at this number.” She said sweetly, smiling up at him shyly for a moment before turning and gathering the files she’d come in with. Balancing them on her hip and moving to exit, she paused and looked back over her shoulder at Darryl. “It was nice meet you Mister Bond.” She said with sincerity, though her grip on the files was a little tight for someone as relaxed as she was pretending to be. “I will see you Friday.” And with that, along with another smile, she left; it was probably better than sticking around and letting her nerves show. The clicking of her heels on the hard floor retreated into the hallway and quickly faded as she headed back to her office, careful not to squeal with girlish delight.

[Darryl Bond]

He watched her with a small smile as she looked around and sought out a pen. Usually when women look for pens, they want to write on his hand. He was a little surprised this particular one didn't have a card (then again, where would she hold such a thing). He smiled a little more when she took the cap off. He let his arm and hand move with her and he held back any sort of noise that wanted to escape because of this bold move on her part. He bit into his lip a little because the pen going across his palm tickled a bit. He regained his composure after she straightened. He would have to remember to copy her number down as soon as he got back to his classroom, elsewise he'd rub it off with his fingers. The man was always running his fingers against his palm, for some reason or another.

He tipped his hat towards her graceously as she said he could check up on her at that number if she got lost. He watched her gather up her files and had to hold himself back from offering to carry them for her. He had responsibilities in his classroom before he could be a flirting gentlemen and help her to her office. It would set a terrible example if he did such a thing. Teachers just weren't allowed to be tardy.

"And you, Dr. Prideaux." He smiled and bowed his head again and straightened as she walked out the door. He couldn't leave immediately, because there was a cup he needed to tend to. After he had rinsed it out and set it on the drying wrack he high-tailed it to his class room, the smile was stilll on his face. He had a date.