Post by Mars on Sept 29, 2008 14:40:03 GMT -5
"Um...what do you mean?" No response at first, only the same expressionless gaze. If it had been anyone else I would have slapped and slapped HARD, until...
"Cool is average. Ordinary. Typical. Been there, done that, right?"
"...right, I..think?"
"This isn't cool. It's insane. We've been sitting here ten minutes tops and you nailed my expression. Nailed it."
“T-thanks. It’s not finished or anything…”
“I know.” He handed the book back to me with an encouraging smile. “Take your time.”
Gulp. Nod.
“Gotcha.” I got to work on his nose first. Harmless enough. There wasn’t any real danger of fainting from staring at his nostrils. Once I finished my pencil hovered over the outline of an eyelid. Oh crap, I thought, here comes the mesmerization…
After one eye was finished I let a sigh escape. He noticed and raised an eyebrow at me.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. It’s just…” Another sigh. “They’re beautiful. Your eyes, I mean.” I felt blood rushing to my cheeks and quickly gulped more of the cappuchino. “..I mean that from a completely neutral artistic perspective.”
“Of course.” This was said with a really amused smile. Clearly he believed that line about as much as I did. “From this ‘neutral perspective’ of yours, what do you think about everything else?” He gestured towards his face. Oh CRAP!
“Well…uh…” Gulp. “Neutrally speaking…I wouldn’t change a thing.” I was acting as casual as possible, taking the occasional caffiene shot and keeping my drawing hand steady. “I mean, solid jawline, smooth skin, flowing hair…and your range of expression? Wow.”
“You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?”
“Honestly? Yes. I have.” I finished his other eye and hoped the lashes weren’t too thick, moving my focus down to his mouth and chin. By now his eyes had taken on a completely dreamy look that made my heart beat faster.
“It’s no problem. I’m not bashing you or anything.” There was a pause. He took a drink and looked away. “Our food’s here.”
Phew! “Cool.” I stopped drawing out his hair, set the pencil down, and stretched my right hand. The waitress carefully set the plates down then glanced over my shoulder.
“That’s really good.”
“It sure is.” He grinned, his expression clearly saying ‘See? I told you!’ The girl looked like she wanted to say something but was called over to another table with an apologetic expression. “So, Marlise, let’s talk.”
“Ab-about what?” Swallow.
“You.”
"What about me?”
“Anything. You obviously know a lot about me. All I really know about you is that you’re an artist…and you’re probably not from around here.”
“Okay. Fair enough. I just moved here a couple of weeks ago from Illinois..” I didn’t tell him everything, but I did say a lot. When I finally shut up he stated at me with a stunned expression on his face.
“Wow. Not bad, considering you’re only twenty four.”
“It’s really nothing special. I haven’t, like, travelled the world, won a gold medal, or anything like that.”
“That doesn’t matter.” As he spoke he leaned closer and took my left hand in his. Was this still in the realm of just being nice? “It’s all about the journey, right?”
“Right.” My voice gave a noticable wobble, which I tried to hide with an equally shaky smile. I felt like I would faint if I looked at him, so took another gulp of the coffee to buy some time.
“Hey, are you nervous?”
“Just a little.”
“Don’t be.” Hand squeeze. “You’re talented. Pretty, too. There’s no need for you to get nervous around me. In fact…I’m going to help you out.”
“Huh? How so?”
“I’m giving you the chance to see the real me.”
“Say what now?” My eyes widened, breath catching in my throat. Surely I had misinterpreted that. God, I hoped so. He took one look at my startled, deer-in-the-headlights reaction and laughed.
“Relax. I meant letting you see my human side. You know, instead of just the skater. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great.” It sounded more than great and I think we both knew it. Still, I wasn’t about to start doing victory cheers in the middle of a restaurant. “Um..When did you have in mind?”
By now I had finished eating and was working out the finer details of his hair.
“Wednesday afternoon. Of course, if you already have plans…”
“Nope. No plans at all.” I glanced down and grinned. “…I think it’s finished. What do you think?” No chance to hand the book off this time. It was already in his hands and under the supervision of his penetrating gaze.
“I think you’re right. It looks great.” We stood up and he handed my sketchbook back with a genuine smile. “So. Do you have a phone?”
“Yeah.” I fished it out of my pocket, turned it to the contact screen, and handed it to him. “Here it is.” I grabbed a napkin and scrawled my number on it with a sharpie. “..aand here’s the number.”
“Thanks.” The phone was handed back. “I’ll call you about Wednesday, alright?”
“Gotcha. Oh…and Apolo?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
He nodded, smiled, and we shook hands one last time before temporarily parting ways.
What an experience. Wow.
Now, my only problem was making it to Wednesday without freaking out. No worries, right?
"Cool is average. Ordinary. Typical. Been there, done that, right?"
"...right, I..think?"
"This isn't cool. It's insane. We've been sitting here ten minutes tops and you nailed my expression. Nailed it."
“T-thanks. It’s not finished or anything…”
“I know.” He handed the book back to me with an encouraging smile. “Take your time.”
Gulp. Nod.
“Gotcha.” I got to work on his nose first. Harmless enough. There wasn’t any real danger of fainting from staring at his nostrils. Once I finished my pencil hovered over the outline of an eyelid. Oh crap, I thought, here comes the mesmerization…
After one eye was finished I let a sigh escape. He noticed and raised an eyebrow at me.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. It’s just…” Another sigh. “They’re beautiful. Your eyes, I mean.” I felt blood rushing to my cheeks and quickly gulped more of the cappuchino. “..I mean that from a completely neutral artistic perspective.”
“Of course.” This was said with a really amused smile. Clearly he believed that line about as much as I did. “From this ‘neutral perspective’ of yours, what do you think about everything else?” He gestured towards his face. Oh CRAP!
“Well…uh…” Gulp. “Neutrally speaking…I wouldn’t change a thing.” I was acting as casual as possible, taking the occasional caffiene shot and keeping my drawing hand steady. “I mean, solid jawline, smooth skin, flowing hair…and your range of expression? Wow.”
“You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?”
“Honestly? Yes. I have.” I finished his other eye and hoped the lashes weren’t too thick, moving my focus down to his mouth and chin. By now his eyes had taken on a completely dreamy look that made my heart beat faster.
“It’s no problem. I’m not bashing you or anything.” There was a pause. He took a drink and looked away. “Our food’s here.”
Phew! “Cool.” I stopped drawing out his hair, set the pencil down, and stretched my right hand. The waitress carefully set the plates down then glanced over my shoulder.
“That’s really good.”
“It sure is.” He grinned, his expression clearly saying ‘See? I told you!’ The girl looked like she wanted to say something but was called over to another table with an apologetic expression. “So, Marlise, let’s talk.”
“Ab-about what?” Swallow.
“You.”
"What about me?”
“Anything. You obviously know a lot about me. All I really know about you is that you’re an artist…and you’re probably not from around here.”
“Okay. Fair enough. I just moved here a couple of weeks ago from Illinois..” I didn’t tell him everything, but I did say a lot. When I finally shut up he stated at me with a stunned expression on his face.
“Wow. Not bad, considering you’re only twenty four.”
“It’s really nothing special. I haven’t, like, travelled the world, won a gold medal, or anything like that.”
“That doesn’t matter.” As he spoke he leaned closer and took my left hand in his. Was this still in the realm of just being nice? “It’s all about the journey, right?”
“Right.” My voice gave a noticable wobble, which I tried to hide with an equally shaky smile. I felt like I would faint if I looked at him, so took another gulp of the coffee to buy some time.
“Hey, are you nervous?”
“Just a little.”
“Don’t be.” Hand squeeze. “You’re talented. Pretty, too. There’s no need for you to get nervous around me. In fact…I’m going to help you out.”
“Huh? How so?”
“I’m giving you the chance to see the real me.”
“Say what now?” My eyes widened, breath catching in my throat. Surely I had misinterpreted that. God, I hoped so. He took one look at my startled, deer-in-the-headlights reaction and laughed.
“Relax. I meant letting you see my human side. You know, instead of just the skater. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great.” It sounded more than great and I think we both knew it. Still, I wasn’t about to start doing victory cheers in the middle of a restaurant. “Um..When did you have in mind?”
By now I had finished eating and was working out the finer details of his hair.
“Wednesday afternoon. Of course, if you already have plans…”
“Nope. No plans at all.” I glanced down and grinned. “…I think it’s finished. What do you think?” No chance to hand the book off this time. It was already in his hands and under the supervision of his penetrating gaze.
“I think you’re right. It looks great.” We stood up and he handed my sketchbook back with a genuine smile. “So. Do you have a phone?”
“Yeah.” I fished it out of my pocket, turned it to the contact screen, and handed it to him. “Here it is.” I grabbed a napkin and scrawled my number on it with a sharpie. “..aand here’s the number.”
“Thanks.” The phone was handed back. “I’ll call you about Wednesday, alright?”
“Gotcha. Oh…and Apolo?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
He nodded, smiled, and we shook hands one last time before temporarily parting ways.
What an experience. Wow.
Now, my only problem was making it to Wednesday without freaking out. No worries, right?
)
