Dinner Uptown [RP for pate_a_choux]

[a_georgia_peach]

It was twenty after four when Savannah left her apartment and took the elevator downstairs after spending the morning running a few errands and ridding up the box she called an apartment. Mrs. Andujar from across the hall got on at the first floor, just returning from her weekly trip to the beauty salon a few blocks up and over, and Savannah

Comments

[pate_a_choux]

So she caught that, did she? Pat ducked his head and looked a bit chastised, but only a for a moment. More for the graceless way he'd made the comment than for the actual words themselves. No point in apologizing for his tastes. "I like things a little more action driven, I guess."

Out of idle curiosity more than hunger, Pat was studying the dessert menu, his meal done and plates stacked and pushed to the side for the bartender to clear at his convenience. It didn't bother him that there was a slightly different protocol to dining barside than at a table. As he skimmed the listening, he wasn't impressed, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the menu. Typical Mexican stand-bys like fried ice cream and flan--and, oh...now that had him chuckling.

Whoever proofed the menu didn't do a very good job. He slid the laminated list towards Savannah and tapped a finger against the item he was laughing about. "I dare you to order that with a side of squirrel." Yes, someone listed 'chocolate moose' on the menu.

[a_georgia_peach]

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Variety, spice o'life, all that stuff."

Savannah finished up the last of her own meal and was pushing her plate aside to be cleared when he slid the menu over, laughing as he pointed to something. She looked down and read it, then laughed out loud herself, quirking a brow at Pat as she pretended to consider his dare.

"That the best ya can do?" she teased. "Hmm, I dunno - I don't normally go for anythin' less than a double dog dare." A slow smirk spread across her face. "A girl's gotta have standards, y'know."

[pate_a_choux]

"Fine, I double-dog dare you to order it." His own eyes lit up as he changed the challenge a bit. He also affected a rather thick, and entirely artificial, cartoon-slavic accent, "But do it like Boris. And Natasha. You vant the moose and squirrel."

Old immigrants for neighbors when growing up had to be good for something, right? And mimicry was always fun. Besides, he'd loved those Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons as a kid.

[a_georgia_peach]

One day, Savannah's smart mouth was going to get her in serious trouble. She narrowed her eyes and pretended to think about it, even though her mind was already made up. Now that he'd gone and made it a double dog dare there was no backing down. And she had two mojitos' worth of courage in her system.

So when the bartender came back to clear their plates way and ask about dessert, Savannah took a deep breath to steel herself, then pointed to the chocolate 'moose' and with a straight face and in her best cartoon-Slavic accent (not an easy feat when you tended to sound like Ellie May Clampett) told him Boris and Natasha wanted the moose. And squirrel.

[pate_a_choux]

Pat hooted with laughter, between Savannah's clearly blitzed shenanigans and the look on the bartender's face, he couldn't help it. Priceless. "One moose, two spoons."

That was about all he managed to get out between fits of laughter. He also had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. "And another round of drinks if you don't mind."

[a_georgia_peach]

Savannah's straight face disappeared right around the time Patrick started laughing. and she lost it herself, dissolving into a fit of giggles. She would've laughed herself right off her barstool if she hadn't grabbed the edge of the counter to keep her balance. And he just ordered more? Good lord. Fortunately, home wasn't far.

Finally managing to regain her composure, she buffed her nails against her top and shot him a smug look. "Good 'nuff for ya, Boris?"

[pate_a_choux]

He wasn't drunk, after all. Nice mellow buzz just starting, maybe. Pat also didn't realize just how far gone his companion was. Sure, she was laughing but it was pretty funny. The typo alone amused him. That she took his dare and ran with it...even better.

Their drinks came before the dessert, which was possibly a good thing. He lifted his fresh glass and offered her a salute. "I'm going to be completely un-PC with this toast but, in Soviet Russia, the dessert eats you, Natasha."

Okay, so maybe more booze was a bad idea. Either way, he was enjoying himself so Pat really didn't care. "And don't call me Boris. I'll start calling you Rocky, I swear."

[a_georgia_peach]

Yeah, more was probably a bad idea.

She laughed at his toast, amused - until her mind started drifting toward the gutter...oops - come back, brain. The Natasha part amused her more than it should have and made her giggle, too. Okay, scratch the probably.

Quarter past tipsy and halfway to hammered. God, she was gonna be sorry in the morning. Savannah shrugged and couldn't help smirking. "Hey, you started it, Bullwinkle."

[pate_a_choux]

"You...are drunk." He snorted as he sat his glass on the bar with a thump. "Lightweight."

Moose arrived, looking more like mousse--for which he was grateful. Entirely grateful. And when he offered her a spoon, Pat grinned, holding it just out of her reach. "You going to eat your puree of Moose, or what, Georgia?"

[a_georgia_peach]

"Maybe just a little." She held up a hand, thumb and forefinger not quite touching. Actually, it was more like a lot. But whatever, she didn't have to work until tomorrow night and she was having fun. "I'm outta practice."

A fact for which he would've been extremely grateful, had he known her four years ago and seen the mess she could be when she was a lot drunk.

"I reckon that depends on how long ya plan on teasin' me with it," Savannah replied as she eyed the spoon. Leaning in for it could be disastrous if he was going to play keep away and move it farther out of her reach. Her luck, she'd face-plant in his lap or something equally mortifying.

[pate_a_choux]

He planned on teasing her a while, apparently, seeing as he continued to hold her spoon and dip his own into the moist dessert. "Mmm, this is really good. You should try some." He offered the second spoon to her again, waving it in her face.

Not drunk, but he could mess with someone who was.

[a_georgia_peach]

Apparently.

Savannah folded her arms and pretended to scowl. "I would if ya'd quit movin' it." After a moment or two, she reached out to try and grab hold of the arm that was waving her spoon around - intent on trying to keep it still long enough to get the dessert into her mouth.

Not that she expected her attempt to be successful. She was tiny - no match for someone of his size and build when she was functioning on all six cylinders. And right now, well...she was down by a couple.

[pate_a_choux]

He chuckled at her hand on his forearm. Spoon in mouth, he freed his hand to gently pry her fingers from his skin one by one before tapping the end of her nose with the cool metal of her own dessert spoon. "What's the matter Georgia, afraid I'm going it eat it all?"

[a_georgia_peach]

Savannah reflexively rubbed at her nose and folded her arms back across her middle, suddenly very sympathetic toward his two sisters.

"No." She rolled her eyes and pouted with a melodramatic sigh, but her eyes betrayed her amusement. "You're just bein' mean." There was a moment's pause and she smirked. "... Boris."

Yes, Savannah was well aware that just for that, he probably would eat it all. Not that it really mattered to her one way or the other - she was really just playing around, and she'd only ordered it because he dared her to.

[pate_a_choux]

Oh, he wasn't going to eat it all. In fact, he really wasn't even hungry any more. Pat did dip the back of her spoon into the mousse and then make a move to tap that against the tip of her nose.

His sisters taught him well.

"I am not mean, squirrel."

[a_georgia_peach]

She put a hand up in what would be a feeble and ineffective attempt to block if he actually did try to dab mousse on her nose. There were times when she really hated being such a tiny little thing.

"Are too, moose."

Mason was occasionally good for a lesson or two, too.