At the Restaurant

I swear, I'm going to stop introducing characters, and get to the heart of the matter. Maybe. Kinda sorta. Okay, there's at least one character still to meet. Maybe two....

The banter continued all the way to the restaurant, getting more and more juvenile until finally Steven parked the car and Ray got in one more jab. “PENIS!” They concluded this was the definitive last word on the subject, and piled out of the car. A small figure waved at them and started sprinting towards them. Diana and Bobbie both groaned. Celia leapt onto Ray, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“Ray! I’ve missed you so much! How was your trip? Hi Bobbie. Hi Diana. Oh my god, I have so much to tell you! But first you have to introduce me to your brothers. Oh I’m so glad I finally get to meet you guys! Ray has told me so much about both of you. Oh I’m so glad you’re back!” With that she kissed him hard. And then prolonged it. When everyone else was starting to feel uncomfortable and/or annoyed, Steven piped up.

“So, are we going to eat or not?” Ray finally set Celia down. The restaurant was the new hit spot, serving high-end Cajun style food. Diana had been wanting to try it for weeks, but reservations were hard to come by.

“Oh my god! This place is so fancy! How did you get reservations?” Celia gushed.

“Oh, the bartender here is an old coworker of mine. Ben – I think you’ve met him Diana.” Diana wasn’t sure ‘met’ was the right word for someone she only saw sneaking out of their apartment in the morning, but she shrugged anyway.

They were seated at a round table in the middle of the restaurant. Diana was in between the Steven and Alan, Bobbie in between Steven and Ray, and Celia completing the circle. Waiters with trays were buzzing all around them, and the air was filled with the scent of New Orleans, spicy and heavy. It was heavenly. Ben the bartender was working, and sent them a round of cocktails on the house. Bobbie got the conversation started again.

“So Alan, what brings you and Steven here?”

“Ray convinced us that since he came to visit us, we needed to come visit him. Neither of us have much going on right now, so we figured we’d follow him back. Besides, he told us there were some really hot chicks here.” He nudged Diana with his elbow.

“And actually,” added Steven, “My firm has a branch out here, and I’m thinking of transferring. I need a change of scenery, and a new challenge. And being out here with Ray’s a definite plus.”

“Really? Aww, I didn’t know you cared.” Ray wiped a fake tear away. “Or that you were thinking of moving here. That would be awesome!”

“So what do you do Steven?” Diana asked, toying with her martini.

“I’m an architect. I’m technically the assistant to the project manager - have yet to do a building of my own yet. Unfortunately my branch is small, and there’s not a lot of opportunity for growth, even if I am doing most of my boss’s work. The main branch is out here, and there’s a spot for a lead that I would love to get.”

“Do you have an interview set?”

“Yeah, next Tuesday.”

“Oh my god, Tuesday! I have an essay due, and my professor won’t extend it, even though he knows I have a meet that week…” Celia continued to dominate the conversation for quite some time, and Diana went through her impressions of the Steven and Alan. Alan was fun, but he didn’t seem to take anything seriously, and frankly, he wasn’t her type. Steven on the other hand… He was a bit square, and definitely work-obsessed; Bobbie would certainly say he wasn’t nearly as handsome as either of his brothers, but Diana thought he was cute. She liked that he was passionate about work and frankly, she preferred a bit boring to an unending stream of quips. She didn’t really think she was attracted to him though – it had just been awhile for her. At the moment though, she wasn’t about to start anything. Bobbie on the other hand, was playing footsie with Alan under the table. Clearly her preference was made, and Diana didn’t think it would take very long. Just then, their food came, and Diana tuned back into the conversation.

“Bobbie, my sorority just loved the Bacall Room! We’re totally going to come back. You know what you guys should do? Karaoke. Oh my god, I love doing karaoke. Seriously, your bar would bring in so much money. We’d go all the time!” Bobbie looked like she had just swallowed a mouthful of manure. Well, at least Diana knew why Bobbie was mad at Ray. Not that it was entirely his fault, but that probably didn’t matter to Bobbie.