Out of the Black - Lee Doty [110]
"I choose to exercise my Fifth Amendment rights." She smiled an unexpectedly dazzling smile, then glanced quickly at him again. "Why do you play at a server all the way in Washington State?"
He laughed. "I just moved from there... haven't met any friends on the local servers yet. You?"
"Oh, I have some good friends there." She smiled.
"Alexander Ahmed." He held out his hand.
"Rae Jackson." She took his hand, gave it a quick shake. She looked at him a little bit onger before looking away.
"Hey, maybe I've seen you online. What's your handle?" He asked, knowing the answer.
***
You can't deny
Don't try to fight the rising sea
Don't fight the moon, the stars above
Don't fight me
The fundamental loneliness goes
Whenever two can dream a dream together
-Wave
A tale best told by Frank Sinatra
"I'm not sure I'm ready to get married," she said, looking at him like he'd just dropped his pants in public, "I mean, I've only known you three months."
"Eight months." Alex corrected.
"I've only known what you look like for three months." Rae said with a smirk.
"Oh, it's all about physical beauty with you now?" He shook his head, "So superficial." He said in airy condescension.
"I've only known your name for three months."
"You've known Smack for eight months," he said reasonably, "and that's who you'd be taking to the altar. Besides, think of the wedding gifts."
"You are such a geek." She said trying for a look of shocked indignation.
"You might get that Black Cloak of Aragoth you've been hoping for..."
She laughed, "This is sinking to a new low..."
"So the answer is 'yes'? Ah! You've made me the happiest Avatar in all of Gorgo!" He said, laying on the irony.
"Keep it down!" she hissed through clenched teeth, giving him the fiery eye of death. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head despondently. "This is not happening."
"You can invite all your cop friends..."
"NO!" Her head snapped up, terror filling her eyes.
He shook his head in mock condemnation, "You are so easy to provoke... are you sure you're a good cop?"
"I don't even know if you're gay yet."
"You're not saying if we sleep together you'll know I'm not gay, are you?"
"...so the answer is 'yes'?" she said with enthusiasm.
His eyes smiled; his head shook, "I think you have a problem with commitment."
"I'm not the one who wants to get digitally hitched."
"Exacty."
"Hey, is this some kind of geek dating ritual? You know- like the dork version of going steady or something?"
"Always the nerd anthropologist." He said, reaching across the table, past the greasy food, around the protein-infused soda. He placed his hand over hers and looked directly into her eyes. "You know, I've felt steady from the beginning."
She smiled, perhaps even blushed a little. There was an uncomfortable pause as something heavier than the normal banter passed between them.
It didn't take long for her to break eye contact. "Net stalker." She jabbed an accusing finger at him while picking up a fry with the other hand.
"High priestess of the order of Xandock." He jabbed back, just a little louder.
"Shhhh! Man, you're embarrassing!" She looked around praying no one had heard.
"This man giving you trouble, officer?" The rather stealthy waitress at the end of their booth said. Rae jumped, then froze with her eyes closed and her lips tight.
"Nothing a little police brutality wouldn't correct." Rae said in a measured tone.
"She won't marry me." Alex said.
Rae's eyes opened, giving him the look of impending death.
After a moment spent in appraisal, the waitress gave Alex a short nod. "Yeah, I get that."
"You are really endangering your tip." Alex wagged a finger at her.
"We all know who wears the tip in this family. You need any dessert?" the waitress asked, turning to Rae.
"I tipped yesterday!" Alex tapped his finger on the table.
"Yeah... A dollar- I look like a gumball machine to you?" the waitress asked, arching her eyebrows.
"A dollar fifty." Alex said, looking guilty.
"You used a fractional dollar?" Rae was horrified. "Only tax software