thesupersmeller | OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

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OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

After his heart to heart with Demeter, as they were always heart to heart with her, and all the confusion he's felt between his body, mind, and most of all his heart, Gus is more at ease than before but without any answers. He's already told The Devil once and for all it's off, he doesn't want to be that guy that keeps an open option - especially not an open option that could destroy him... and maybe still would. He's not that guy at all. Instead, he's been going through the motions; closing the case and helping get everything ready for the impending party.

The day after Juliet's birthday party, he gets a text message from Shawn telling him to be at Milliways as soon as possible at a bench by the lake. Later, it would occur to him that Shawn was clearly up to something - but as he walks a slow circle around the bench in the pink silk shirt and black slacks he'd worn to work for the day and waits for his friend to show it's more annoying than anything.

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"I don't envy you there..." he shakes his head, almost cracking a joke about letting her use his shower - and narrowly avoiding putting his foot firmly back in his mouth.

The sand crumbles under their feet as they walk down the beach toward a bench that's thankfully quiet - if the tide came in at dusk instead of after nine it'd be just like the romantic comedies Gus will never admit to owning on Blue-Ray... and he might just end up making a fool of himself for the simple reason that it seemed like the thing to do at the time. Instead, he sits down at one end and turns to put his knee up on the bench and face the girl.

"This is nice."

She's half-turned to look at him as well, as much as she can and still be comfortable, and she smiles.

"It is. It was a lovely idea."

A warm blush creeps up behind his ears followed with the tug of a small smile as he picks up his taco - tucking the tortilla tight. "Thanks, I uh... I don't really do this much so it's nice to know I'm doing something right."

He lets out a somewhat sheepish chuckle and then holds up the taco (in his specially designed elbows out, shirt back position for eating food that may be drippy in expensive shirts) and takes a large bite - watching for Nancy's initial reaction to the new flavors.

She attempts to copy his method of eating it, with mixed success, and her eyes widen as she tastes it, chewing carefully and finishing the mouthful before she speaks.

"That... is really good."

The hot peppers in his are doing their job, leaving his eyes watering a little as he takes two consecutive bites - swallowing with a much larger grin.

"Dude knows his stuff, I gotta give Julio that much." He laughs slightly, lick his lips; "Totally different from anything you've ever had, I bet."

"Completely", she agrees. "And now I know it exists, I'll have to ask the Bar again. Probably won't be the same as Julio's, though."

"Probably not, but I'll make sure next time you're in town I hook you up."

If there is a next time, of course, but it doesn't really matter because things are feeling really good.

After taking another bite, he offers her first drink of the cold, sweet vanilla and cinnamon milk drink. "Horchata?"

"Next time", she agrees cheerfully, and reaches to accept the cup and takes an experimental sip, then a moment to consider the flavours.

"It's not for everyone, but every so often I get a taste for it - sort of milky but also sweet and savory with a little bit of a tingle from the fresh cinnamon. Cools the tongue after a really spicy bite or two."

Or four. He finishes off the taco as he waits for her verdict, wiping a smudge of sauce off the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

She smiles and nods, eventually.

"Unusual, but I think I like it."

It's easy enough to get along, at first Gus honestly thought that the totally blind date would be a bad idea - but it turns out Shawn (and presumably Juliet given setting him up seems much more her speed than Shawn's) may be on to something.

Starting in on the second half of his meal, Gus casts his eyes out over the ocean and says; "It's a shame we missed sunset, the view from here is amazing."

"I'd like to see it sometime", she agrees. "Maybe if there's a next time, we can time it for ourselves."

"I'd like that," he replies with a subtle smile.

"But, uh... if you're not in a hurry to get back, maybe we could do a movie or something? There's nothing good at the theaters right now - but I just got a brand new flatscreen put into my home entertainment center."

"One of the great things about the bar", she says with a cheerful grin. "I can be gone as long as I like and not gone a minute at the same time."

So very true, but it's not always about time. This is pretty much the point in a Burton Guster date that the girl he's with ends up ready to not see him again.

"It's really nice," he nods agreement and finishes his last spicy taco and a large gulp of his drink before continuing.

"I just didn't know how you'd feel about riding to my apartment and all that."

"If you take liberties", she tells him with an amused glint in her eyes, "I'll beat you up and leave. But I don't think you will."

His eyes open wide for a long moment and then Gus shakes his head. "I would never... I mean, uh-uh. No way."

Gus knows all too well he just doesn't have that in him.

"You definitely have my word on that one."

"Glad to hear it, I'm usually a pretty good judge of character", Nancy says with a smile. "And I'd be glad to come and watch movies with you."

His defensive, almost frightened frown melts back into an easy half-smile and quietly he picks at his chips to let her finish her meal, staring out over the ocean.

It doesn't take long before all the food is gone and she sets the empty container down and glances over at Gus.

"How far's your place from here?"

Already gathering their trash, Gus replies; "Not far, just a couple minutes in my car."

It occurs to him that she may have never ridden in a car - and definitely not in anything like his car - and he quickly adds; "If that's all right with you."

"It's fine", she assures him. "My parents had a car, when... when I was little. It's been a while, but I did ride in it then."

He nods easily again and smooths out the wrinkle in his shirt as he stands up, offering her his hand.

"Sure, my car's back up at the office."

She takes his hand and pulls herself back to her feet.

"Then let's go."

Amicably taking the lead, Gus walks her back up the sandy beach to the boardwalk - letting his pace get a little bit faster than before.

"Do you like ice cream? Or popcorn? Or candy? I've got different kinds of movie snacks at my place..." Different kinds of non-movie snacks, between him and Shawn they go through a lot of snacks.

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