Who: Samantha Harris inatowel & Mike Lane mikelane What: Hanging out When: Friday, September 18 [Backdated] Where: Vegan Pizza Rating/Warnings: Low/Some flirting, probably some language, but nothing too awful. Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
~*~
Sam didn't like mentioning her eating preferences that often, especially on public forums, since sometimes there was backlash from just stating you were vegan. A lot of people tended to think she was jumping on some bandwagon trend, or that she was a hipster. Okay, the latter might be true to some extent, but Sam had been a vegan since she was 14.
It was her preferred way of life, and she'd felt the need to tell the two people that had spoken with her about that.
Tomorrow she was going to buy the ingredients to make vegan Jaffa Cakes, and hope that they turned out as good as the regular ones. Things were hit or miss sometimes with vegan food, but hopefully these would turn out as good as they looked.
For tonight, however, she was going to go out with a potential new friend and just enjoy not being stuck at home with her roommates for a change. Sam had earned a little bit of relaxation. She worked hard at her classes, and had already finished all of her work for the week so she deserved to have fun.
Even if it wasn't with any of her friends, and some guy she'd met online.
God knew they'd have a field day with that, but she was going to see how dinner went before continuing on with their evening. If she got a creepy vibe off of him, she'd just feign a headache and go on her merry way back home. Otherwise? Well, the night was young and she'd just see where things went.
Sam arrived a little earlier than they'd agreed upon, and she stood close to the door outside waiting on Mike to arrive.
~*~
Arranged dates weren't the usual for Mike since---ever. He'd been a club guy since getting to California and before that he'd been a Scene Man. People had flocked to him because it was his job to make sure they did. There had been no reason for him to pick up girls specifically for dates where it was all 'What time do I pick you up?' and 'Is this a formal wear kind of night?' He was doing good if he showered and put on a clean shirt before hitting the floor at the clubs in the OC.
Mike had managed to scrub all the sweat of his workshop off before heading out to meet Sam. She seemed nice. Interesting. He could use a little of both to break up the monotony of his days and vegan? Hey, Mike wasn't above admitting he could be a little more conscientious about what he put in his mouth. His wasn't the kind of body made by Pillsbury; Mike didn't have the time for the gym he once had now he was his own boss.
Keeping his shop afloat was its own challenge.
His pants fit a little looser than he liked but he'd secured the ties on the sweats tight enough to make sure he could slide in them without them falling off. Mike had paired the grey sweats with a white tank and a grey-striped button down over it. With his cap flipped backward and his white kicks, he likely looked like some white poser, but the people at the club he planned on hitting with Sam would know him.
Smiling at the tiny woman at the entrance, Mike asked, "Sam? I'm Mike. You ready to eat before I talk you into a dance floor with me?"
~*~
Sam had pulled her phone out to check a few things, and then she began playing a game to pass the time. She sensed someone approaching, and Sam glanced up at the man who walked up to her.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
She hit the button on the side of her phone to turn it off, and nodded. "That'd be me, nice to meet you, Mike." She replied, "It's been a long time since lunch, and I'm starving. So yes." Sam tucked her phone into the small purse she'd brought with her with a light laugh. "I am looking forward to dancing too. I think it'll be fun."
At least she was hoping that the dinner went well enough to where she wanted to go dancing afterward. Mike seemed to be a gentleman, but one could never tell.
Moving away from the wall, Sam moved toward the entrance, and then stepped inside. As soon as the smell of pizza hit her nose, Sam's stomach began to growl. God, she hadn't realized how hungry she really was.
Finding a table, Sam sat and placed her purse down in the seat beside of her. Looking at Mike, she smiled softly. "So how was work?" ~*~
Women who were willing to eat in front of men were rare. Mike had always liked a woman with a good appetite. He thought it was strange to be ashamed of eating. No one lived on air. Everyone had to eat. What was wrong with sharing a meal with someone of the opposite gender? Was he supposed to eat less so his date didn't think he was a pig? No. The idea women were supposed to eat less in front of other people was absurd to him.
"Glad you're hungry. I hate looking like a pig when I'm the only one eating at the table. Girls who don't eat in front of guys? Make me crazy. I know women eat. I have no problem with women eating. Everyone eats. What's the problem with sharing a meal, you know?"
He followed Sam to a table, sliding into the seat across from her. Mike let his legs fall into a wide spread so he wouldn't be hitting her with his knees. That was always a pain in the ass. It was one of the only things Mike didn't like about being tall. Men were expected to be tall, to like being tall, to like being big. Mike had never cared too much for any of those things. He wanted to keep in shape so he could do what he wanted in life.
Dancing was his stress relief which helped to keep him in shape.
Letting his arms dangle over his legs, Mike said, "I had a good day. Productive. I managed to deliver three custom pieces and set the pieces on another custom order. It has to be clamped for twenty-four hours for the glue to set. I'll sand down the edges on it after it's set up. I'm looking forward to delivering that one to the owner. She works in a club I go to on occasion. She wanted a new gong stand. She's Buddhist. What about you? Your day working out well?"
~*~
Sam shook her head, "That's something I've never worried about. Eating in front of other people that is. I don't understand why other people have issues with it either." Unless it was some sort of mental thing, then Sam could give people some leeway. Still, it made no sense to her if it was for some other reason. "I have no idea why someone would do that. Food's great, if I didn't work out I'd probably be as big as a house." She laughed softly, and shrugged one shoulder.
Settling in her seat, Sam crossed her legs at the ankles and tucked them underneath her seat to get comfortable. She leaned forward, placing her forearms against the table. A smile tugged up one side of her mouth, "That's great!" It really sounded to Sam as if Mike really enjoyed what he was doing and that was fantastic. Everyone deserved to do what they loved.
"Oh, that's awesome. I'm sure she'll love it." Taking in a deep breath, Sam nodded. "I had a great day. I honestly didn't do a lot so it was relaxing at least. I figured I work hard enough with my classes, and everything that I deserved a night out. Besides, who could argue with good company and dancing?" She was still smiling as she spoke and shrugged.
"My roommates do tell me I need to get out more since I spend most of my time with my nose in a book, or if I'm not reading? I'm a zombie on the couch." She laughed and shook her head. "Hopefully that will all change soon." Sam had planned on seeing if anyone on the Network was looking for any help before hitting the pavement. For now, however, she was planning on enjoying the evening with Mike.
"I hope these clubs aren't over 21 types. I'm only 19." Sam thought it was best to get that out of the way so she would save him the trouble of taking her to a place where she couldn't get in. That would definitely be a bummer.
~*~
"I go to dance, not to drink, so don't worry: we'll get in the doors."
Sam had an easy-going nature to her Mike found appealing. She was younger, but she didn't seem too young. It made a lot of difference to spend time with a woman who was young than a woman who acted young. There were women older than Mike who showed up to the clubs acting as if they were teenagers. He tried to avoid that type. Getting groped wasn't nearly as much fun as people might imagine.
"There's no telling what I'd look like without dance to keep me fit. I know I work out some, but really? It's the dancing which keeps me from blowing up. I like cookies too much to sit around every evening."
Television was something Mike could take or leave. Music was usually going at his place or in his shop. He had his computer up to use the Net. There were days when he was feeling the burn of being alone; it was nice to have a place to reach out to touch another human being even if they were only a screen name. Valarnet also appealed to him because Mike was able to talk to people who got it where the weird was concerned in the OC.
Some residents seemed totally clueless which made him feel insane.
Chuckling, he asked, "Do you ever feel as if this place is going to make you crazy? That's why I joined Valarnet and try to meet as many people as I can in person. It's like---if I can get face-to-face with someone who understands maybe I'm not crazy after all, right?"
~*~
"Awesome." Sam replied with a nod. She was actually thankful for that. It wasn't that Sam minded drinking, and she did partake even though she was underage every now and again, but it didn't matter to her if she drank or not.
Sam could easily have a good time without it.
"It's great cardio." Sam replied with a nod of her head, "I love dancing. I'm not great at it, but I just go to have fun and let loose a little." It'd been too long since she'd actually been out and done something. She was, admittedly, feeling a little awkward though she hoped that it didn't show.
"Ice cream is definitely a downfall of mine." She laughed softly, and lifted a shoulder. There were plenty out there that were made with coconut milk. They weren't as creamy as regular ice cream, but it filled that void in Sam's life.
She canted her head to the side, brows furrowing low over her eyes. She'd seen a lot of posts on the Network about dreams, and weird things happening. Sam wondered, at first, if she was going crazy. Then there'd been talk about drugs in the water or something, so she just started buying bottled water. The strange things hadn't stopped, but it was a little out there. "No, I don't think any of us are crazy. I do have to wonder what's in the water though." She shook her head, and then chewed on her bottom lip. "Who knows with this place? I just know that I go about each day as best I can since God knows you never know what might happen tomorrow."
The waitress came over to their table finally, apologizing for the wait.
Sam offered her a kind smile and then placed an order for a glass of tea. "I think we'll need a few more minutes on toppings for a pizza though." She looked back over at Mike and once the waitress had left, she began speaking again. "Have you had any of the dreams that people talk about?"
~*~
"Not yet," Mike shook his head to the negative, "I've had---feelings. Something feels missing? I can't really explain it. The more people I talk to here, the more I get the feeling I'm missing something about myself, about the life I know, and I can't really figure out what it is or why I feel that way. My life honestly just hasn't been that interesting compared to most."
He'd been a guy who did the best he could with the skills he had. Hype had gotten him in the know with people who introduced him to more people who eventually led to him meeting someone who could help him get his foot in the door in the industry he wanted to be in. No one had given Mike a start in his business. Every job he worked was one he worked to get. Every piece he designed was literally made up of his blood, sweat, and, sure, even tears.
Mike was a confident enough man to be able to admit he cried sometimes.
"I have this feeling it's coming. I know that makes no sense, but maybe, since you live here too, you get it."
Mike shrugged his shoulders as he went back to studying the menu. He offered some topping options, figuring they could agree on two or three each and see which would taste the best together. The place also offered a personal size pizza they could order in the event they just couldn't agree on anything. That seemed unlikely with how great Sam took things. Mike wouldn't dismiss anything until he'd lived through it all the same.
He had learned better than to think he could 'safely assume' anything about a person living in the OC.
The waitress came back over to take their order. Mike looked at Sam expectantly.
"Think we're good with what we want?"
It had been shockingly easy to narrow down with her. Sam was something else for a Cali girl. Low maintenance didn't exactly exist in Orange County. Mike had met women locally who wanted to have their dogs manicured before they would take them for a walk in the park. He was past the point of taking anything at all for granted.
~*~
Sam let out a long breath. Part of her didn't really believe in the dreams, but plenty of people did. Sam wasn't sure, but she didn't like to discredit people. Still something felt strange here, Sam could admit to that, and she'd personally seen some things that weren't explainable.
Maybe they were all going crazy here in Orange County.
"I can understand. I'm hopeful that I don't have to deal with any of those dreams, or whatever." For now, anyway. The thought struck Sam as odd, but it was there none the less. "I honestly don't think that either of us are missing out on anything if what half of the people say happens in their dreams is actually true. I like living in ignorant bliss for the most part." Sam wasn't sure what her dreams might hold for her, if she ever had any, but she was fine with living in the here and now.
Sam wasn't fussy when it came to toppings. Honestly, she'd eat just about anything on a pizza as long as it was vegan. Here she didn't have to worry about any of that. She agreed with a nod at his suggestion, and asked if they could add mushrooms on half of the pizza if he didn't want any.
Sam glanced up at the waitress, listening to Mike as he placed the order. "Sounds excellent to me." She grinned with another nod before settling back in her seat.
"I think that's the quickest I've ever decided on toppings. My other friends always want something else, and they can never really seem to agree on anything." She laughed softly with a shake of her head. Sam loved all of her friends, and she was happy when she was able to spend time with any of them.
~*~
"There's something to be said for ignorant bliss."
Mike was amused they'd been thinking the same thing. Everything was easier with someone who was as agreeable as he himself was and as low maintenance. He hoped he wasn't wrong about Sam. She didn't seem to be playing him the way a lot of women tried to do. Mike wasn't a guy who had money, but he was a guy women seemed to like to have around. He'd been played more than once.
He had gotten too old to want to be someone's toy.
Playtime was over for Mike Lane. He was building up his business and trying to take back his own identity. He needed to know who he was, where he could go, what he could do if he put his mind to it. There were too many people who underestimated him. Mike wasn't an educated man. It wasn't in his cards to go to college like Sam. She didn't seem to mind he was older or that he wasn't in school.
Mike figured he should say something about it all the same.
"I do hope you really like the whole 'ignorant' part of that bliss since I'm not college boy material. I'll teach you some real moves on the floor, but real schooling? I can't hack it. I know my limits. I've got a good head for business. I can keep rhythm. That's it for me."
Somehow Mike figured he was managing to do well enough with Sam.
He just hoped the rest of their date went as well as ordering had---somehow he wasn't too concerned. He figured it was because Sam brought out his best, most playful side. Hopefully they could enjoy their time together. He was keeping his fingers crossed.