OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

[thesupersmeller]

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.

Comments

[thesupersmeller]

His pace is slow, casual and relaxed - she was right, it really is a good night for it. He can't remember the last time he just went for a walk with someone.

"Santa Barbra's pretty nice like that. Like, you're in a city - but it's not like being in LA or something where there's so many buildings and people and it's all traffic and noise." He shakes his head at the thought, "it's a small city, pretty much anything you want is within walking distance but you're not packed in too tight to breathe."

[iamhismummy]

Nancy considers this and smiles slightly.

"Not like London, then. I mean, you can get most things in London in walking distance and it's really a lot of little villages packed together... but big. You couldn't walk from one side to the other."

[thesupersmeller]

"Definitely smaller than London," he agrees with a slight laugh; "I've never been there, though. Just from the way it looks on television, it seems really big."

He's always wanted to go, but never really traveled overseas.

[iamhismummy]

"They say London proper's actually tiny. Just the mile or so where the big banks are now. Westminster used to be a city of its own on the other side of the river, and everything else was just little settlements that got swallowed up into the city."

[thesupersmeller]

"That's kind of how it is everywhere now, I think. All the small towns get swallowed up as the cities expand outward."

Looking back out at the ocean, he squeezes her hand again and tilts his head toward a row of food trucks that like to park on this end of the boardwalk after the businesses start closing for the day to catch people on their way home.

"There we go, see the one with the big red, white, and green flag by the tables - that's my favorite food truck in the area."

[iamhismummy]

She returns the hand squeeze, looking pleased and contented, then looks towards the trucks curiously.

"Food truck?"

[thesupersmeller]

"Mmmhmm, he inhales sharply and catches the scent of a hundred different foods over the ever-present ocean air. "Sort of like mobile restaurants, the travel around to where the people running them can make the most money at any given time of day. Most of it is kind of cheap food that you can pick up and carry with you walking home or sitting on a bench or down by the water."

Stopping their easy gait, he points at the closest of the three trucks; "That one is sort of Italian food, he does a pretty good meatball sub, but last time Shawn and I ate there he got sick. I think it was because no grown man should combine gummy worms and marinara - but he's convinced he got food poisoning." He laughs dryly and points to the furthest; "She's the pretzel lady, but she does popcorn and peanuts and corn dogs too - good for snacks but nothing really substantial. Usually the sandwich guy is there but once a week he takes a day off to take his kids to a ballgame or something. It's pretty cool."

Not really realizing he's rambling, Gus continues to share his rather extensive knowledge of the food truck industry of Western Santa Barbra. "We," he gestures toward the third truck parked in the middle; "are gonna go to Julio's - kind of a Mexican-slash-American-slash-delicious flavor place. He makes the best fish tacos you've ever had."

Granted, they'll be the only fish tacos she's ever had, but that's beside the point.

[iamhismummy]

Nancy listens carefully to all he says, rambling or not, although she does look a little confused at the 'gummy worms and marinara' reference, and nods when he comes to a halt.

"I've never had Mexican, I'm looking forward to it. I don't think we have people selling food out of trucks like this, either, but it's a good idea. Must save on rent."

[thesupersmeller]

Starting up their pace again, headed toward Julio's, he nods more eagerly. "You know that's right, you gotta be pretty careful though. If they don't operate within health code guidelines you could get sick. I always make sure that I only eat from the cleanest vendorsthat I've had time to check out."

Almost as if on cue, a large Hispanic man with a thick accent raises his hand to wave to Gus. "Hey! Where's your amigo, huh? He didn't come last time either - you two didn't break up?"

His face warming, Gus quickly shakes his head; "Naw man, I told you - it aint like that at all. We're just friends and he's been a little busy." He looks toward Nancy and tilts his head; "I'm kind of out with someone special right now... and she's never had a fish taco. I told her you are the guy to come to."

"You got it, ¿cuántos?"

"How many do you think you'll eat, maybe two? We can get more later."

[iamhismummy]

Nancy is laughing at the interplay between Gus and Julio, then smiles up at Gus. "Um, I don't know how big they are. Let's get two and more later if we're still hungry."

[thesupersmeller]

"And you know what I like," he grins at the man. "Four fish tacos, make hers with white boy sauce - you know I like a little fire in chest."

"You got it, two mild and two that'll make a grown man weep." The man goes to quick work, laying out smaller flour tortillas and then adding shredded cheese and cabbage before heaping spoonfuls of grilled, marinated fish and his special sauce.

"Julio's are special because he grills his fish, where a lot of the guys batter and fry them. It's a little healthier - and I think more tasty."

"Yeah, you tell that to the gringos at the surf shop - they don't like 'em. Diet Coke?"

Letting go of her hand, Gus is quick with his wallet; "Not today, I'm feeling a little bold - I'll go with the horchata." He points to a large machine with a lever turning a white-brown mixture. "And you?"

[iamhismummy]

"They look delicious", she says to Julio, peering over the counter, and she's not just being polite. The horchata machine gets an assessing look. "Depends. What is it?"

[thesupersmeller]

Gus is already grinning ear to ear with her approval, always happy to be the bringer of new and exciting delicious goodness.

"It's good," he nods; "milk with rice and vanilla and cinnamon."

"I blend it cold," Julio adds; "so you don't have to serve it with ice."

"No watered down nasty ice at the bottom of the cup." He considers it a moment, and considers how long it took him to get used to the taste, and says; "How about a soda and you can try some of mine?"

[iamhismummy]

"All right", she agrees cheerfully. "Shame for a whole cup to go to waste if I end up not liking it."

[thesupersmeller]

The tacos are delivered in paper trays on a nest of warm tortilla chips with little cups of salsa and Gus is more than happy to carry both down closer to the water - less than fifty yards from the boardwalk where the stands were set up.

"I don't have a blanket, but there's a bench a little ways down the beach... unless you'd rather sit in the sand."

[iamhismummy]

She looks down at her dress, considering if it's long enough to keep the sand out, and decides, "Bench. Without a blanket, I'd be itching for a week."

[thesupersmeller]

"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."

[iamhismummy]

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."

[thesupersmeller]

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.

[iamhismummy]

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."

[thesupersmeller]

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."

[iamhismummy]

"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."

[thesupersmeller]

"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?"

[iamhismummy]

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

[thesupersmeller]

"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.