Marsh had a date, something he hadn’t been on since he was in college. While he had every reason to believe it might go wrong, as it always did, he was still excited. So, he was somewhere he didn’t like going to: Vegas. He himself wasn’t a fan of it but Ronnie had suggested a mini golf place in town that did it inside with black lights. He’d spent the afternoon looking at it and found he was much too hungry to wait for his taxi to take him home.
He wandered upon a truck called Stripchezze and he decided some of those Mac and cheese egg rolls with kimchi sauce sounded interesting at the very least. It wasn’t until he ordered and was waiting for his food that he saw her. The two hadn’t seen each other since their tryst and Marsh felt a little embarrassed by how withholding he’d been.
“Hey Ro, nice to see you.” He settled on, since that was all he could think of to say.
Once again, Ro had answered the sweet sweet call of the Stripcheeze truck. She'd last been here with Noah and it was time to come back. Sometimes you just needed to eat fried cheese. Ro had just ordered when she heard her name.
Marsh from Searchlight. She hadn’t spoken to him since leaving his trailer the morning after their hookup. Nice guy but it had been awkward. "Hey, Marsh," she said with a friendly smile. "Small world. Looking for cheesy goodness?"
He offered her a smile and a chuckle. “Well yes and no, I was actually checking out this mini-golf place and thought I’d grab some grub before I headed home.” Ronnie was watching after Rudy and he didn’t really get to enjoy his time out and about much. It was really something he should do more often.
“You been here before? I got the Mac and cheese egg rolls and I’m not sure if they’re going to be any good.” He admitted. His taste tended to be more simplistic but maybe Nobu might want to try this place out before they head to mini golf.
"They’re so good, I had them last time. I love stuff like that. Honestly, I will eat anything if it's deep-fried. I got eggs rolls and the pizza sandwich." Ro smiled at Marsh, glad he wasn't running away from her or something. They had been so awkward when she left his place last time she saw him.
He was glad nothing seemed awkward between them, it was really all on Marsh when it came down to it. “I’m surprised to see you at food trucks, being a pastry chef and all.” Although there were a lot of interesting culinary combinations in these food trucks around town.
“Listen I want to apologize for how I behaved that night. I’m a bit of a mess sometimes and I ain’t been great in the way I act. Any chance you could forgive me?” He asked her. This was a step in him changing his behavior and as uncomfortable as it was he knew it was important.
"Girl's gotta eat," Ro said with a shrug. "And look, don't worry about it. I can be…" she searched for a word. "I can be a lot."
His order came up and he grabbed it from the window. “No you're not. You’re very nice and beautiful and I’m real happy you chose to spend your time with me.” He replied, sincerity at full blast.
“Care to have lunch together?” He asked, gesturing to a table near the food truck.
"Of course. Step into my office." Ro waved a hand at the picnic table. They made their way over and took a seat. Before saying anything else, Ro took a bite of her eggroll.
"Oh man," she said, groaning with pleasure. "I love these things." She licked her fingers happily. "How are you? You doing okay?"
He nodded his head, taking a bite of his own egg roll and swallowing before he answered. His mother taught him manners after all. “I think I’m better than I was a couple of days ago. What’s good mean anyhow.” He was babbling, Marsh didn’t babble and it wasn’t until now that he realized how nervous he was.
Marsh didn’t seem quite at ease and Ro smiled, hoping to help that. "What happened a couple days ago?"
He scoffed, it was hard to describe why the night that started off in endless pleasure ended in genuine fear. “Uh, well I think I just decided that I can’t let my own shortcomings hold me back.” That was a nice roundabout way of saying it.
“I got a date this weekend. Ain't been on one of those in years.” And years and years.
"Good for you! Get it," Ro exclaimed with warmth regardless of the fact that she and Marsh had recently slept together. It wasn’t the way most humans reacted, Ro had learned, but why shouldn't anybody enjoy themselves? "Good luck. And good for you not holding back."
“Thanks.” He replied, offering her a warm smile. “What’s going on with you?” Though some might think it small talk, Marsh was genuinely curious about Ro. She seemed utterly fascinating that night at the bar but a lot had happened between then and now.
"I'm not that interesting." Of course she'd spent most of her time since she saw Marsh getting drunk and high and avoiding her own apartment. And all that was even before what happened with Noah and Roman. "I'm kind of trying to also avoid my own shortcomings."
Marsh’s eyebrows knit at that. So many of those around him he considered good people were deeply flawed with no means to work on it. More than anything he wished he could be that person, have all their woes put on his shoulders and lately he was finding it hard to resist the urge. “That’s the goal for most everyone in this life but a journey that’s unique for everyone.”
He looked at her as he finished his egg rolls, tossing the plate in the nearby trash as he finished. “Listen, you ever need an ear or anything, I know I ain’t much but I’ve been known to be pretty good at it.” A long arduous dissertation and years of practice good at it.
"That's nice of you. Maybe I'll come by Lucky's sometime, take you up on that." Ro wiped her fingers on a napkin.
He nodded his head and took a card out of his wallet, some card someone had been passing around downtown and a own, and wrote down his phone number. “You can call me too. Any time.” He offered her and it was sincere. He longed to get back to his work, even if he couldn’t practice it legally.
The card was tucked away into a pocket. "Thanks, Marsh." Ro wasn’t sure how much emotional support she needed but it was never bad to have a friend.