Five-Minute Flirtations 1/6
Five-Minute Flirtations
Author: blumvale
Artist: cylin
Verse: XM:FC - AU
Word Count: 15,909
Characters/Pairings - Alex/Hank, (Raven/Janos mentioned)
Beta - the lovely, amazing, fantastic and every word in-between Mondays_eyes - thanks so much hun!!
Rating - PG-13
Summary: Raven convinces Hank to try speed dating. Initially, Hank is quite wary about the whole thing. Once at the bar, the first person he meets is Alex, the bartender. While Alex lends his ear to Hank’s dating woes, the two men grow closer until Hank realizes, maybe speed dating was the best idea Raven has ever had.
Hank looked at the neon sign outside the Dublin Pub and let out a long-suffering sigh. He did not want to be there but the text he'd just received from Raven said she was already inside, waiting for him. Smoothing his jacket, Hank forced his feet forward.
It was Speed Dating night at the bar and it was the last place he wanted to be. All Hank wanted to do was go home and curl up on the couch with a book or maybe get some grading out of the way. But Raven had made him promise to join her. Entering the bar, Hank didn't immediately see his friend. Instead, he saw a couple redheads chatting happily with each other and some men standing awkwardly against the wall. Wearing glasses, dressed in khakis and a sweater and jacket, Hank blended in with the other men in that they all looked uncomfortable to be there. Suddenly someone bumped Hank from behind. Hank turned to see a guy who looked to be a few years younger than he wearing a white wife beater, jeans and black high tops. "Sorry man," the guy said as he hurried past and headed to the bar. Hank watched him go before feeling arms wrap around his waist. "Raven," he said as he turned to hug his friend.
"I'm glad you showed up. I thought you might ditch me."
"You know I wouldn't do that to you." Hank chuckled, knowing that if he had stood her up she would have murdered him and made it look like an accident. Raven was gorgeous in her tight black pants and burgundy top. He couldn't understand why she was resorting to speed dating to meet guys. But deep down he knew she was really there for him. Since they had started working together three years prior, Raven was constantly trying to set him up on blind dates or introduce him to friends she knew outside of the school where they taught. After the first couple disasters Hank had absolutely refused to go on another set-up. So she'd started begging him to join her while she attempted to find a boyfriend. Sometimes he couldn't figure out which was worse. Although, he did save money on beer by joining Raven when she went out. She'd buy a couple rounds for her 'wingman' and two beers usually ended up being enough for Hank.
Raven lead Hank to the nearest two-top. "So how long did you stand outside before you came in?" She asked.
Hank chuckled again; she could always read him so easily. "About ten minutes."
"Mmm hmm," Raven nodded, a smirk on her lips. "Well I guess that's not too bad." Hank just shrugged. "I'm really excited for this. You know my friend Moira. Well, she met her ex-boyfriend at one of these things."
"And that's good?" Hank questioned, focusing on the ‘ex’ part..
"Well, yeah." Raven replied like it was the most obvious answer. Hank waited for her to roll her eyes like the child she sometimes acted like. "They dated for like eight months so there's gotta be something to it. And he seemed like a really nice guy too. It's too bad he ended up being a jerk and cheating on her."
"Oh yeah, you're really building up my excitement for this experience."
This time Raven did roll her eyes. "It'll be fun." She made a cross over her heart. "I promise." Then Raven shifted in her chair to get a full 360 of the room. She grinned brightly as she did so. "So anyone here catch your eye?”
“Aren’t we supposed to sit down and talk to people?” Hank asked confused. Wasn’t that the point of speed dating, to ‘connect’ to people in five minutes?
“Yes, we’re going to sit down with people shortly, but come on. You’ve got two working eyes and some of the people here are hot. So? Anyone strike your fancy?”
Hank let his eyes do another sweep of the room. More people had arrived since Raven had found him and he had to admit he was getting more intimidated by the whole situation as time increased. His eyes settled back on the young man behind the bar. He watched the kid as he moved and grabbed random bottles of liquor to serve patrons already in line. Turning back to Raven, Hank shook his head. “No. Not really.”
She looked almost disappointed in his answer. “Oh well. Once you talk to some people, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.” Hank only nodded in response. Then Raven pulled some money out of her purse and shoved it into Hank’s hands. “Please go get me a gin and tonic.”
Hank started to stand when Raven touched his arm.
“And don’t forget the-“
“Splash of cranberry juice and the lime, yes dear.” Raven laughed softly and Hank rolled his eyes. He knew her order and did not understand why she always felt the need to remind him of it. Making his way over to the bar, Hank was relieved to see the bartender had been quick with the others and there was no line in front of him.
“What can I get you?” The young man asked when Hank leaned against the bar. Hank was careful where he placed his arms, as it seemed someone was already careless with their drink and had spilled some of it on the counter. Noticing Hank’s annoyance, the man pulled out a towel and mopped up the mess. “Sorry about that. One of the guys over there,” the guy jerked his head to the side. Hank followed the movement so that he was looking at a short balding man in a green jacket. “He’s apparently really nervous and his hands were shaking when I handed him his drink.”
Hank shrugged at the small talk. “It happens. Can I please get a gin and tonic with a splash of cranberry juice and a lime?” The bartenders eyebrows rose up into his hairline and Hank felt the need to defend himself. “It’s for my friend.”
“Sure it is,” the other man teased as he grabbed a clean glass and placed it on the counter.
“It is,” Hank found himself saying as he turned to point to Raven. Luckily she wasn’t facing him; instead she was making eyes at a man across the room.
“Sure,” The man said again and then he actually looked to where Hank had pointed and made a whistling sound. “Damn, she’s-“ He cut off when Hank glared at him. “I mean, she’s… nicely dressed.”
“Uh-huh.” Hank started to say more when a portly woman made her way over to the bar.
“Summers! Where’s your nametag? And don’t think I didn’t notice you come in late. But,” the woman said with a large smile, “You can make it up to me by staying for inventory.”
“Ah, come on Smith, Tabitha that’s Jono’s job.”
“Yes, and Jonothon called in to say he won’t be coming in tomorrow ‘cause he’s sick. Now if you were calling in sick, I wouldn’t believe you.”
“That hurts.” Summers said with a grin.
“But Jonothon never calls out so I believe him. Which means you,” Tabitha smiled again, this one sweeter than the last, “Get to do inventory. Don’t forget your name tag.” She called over her shoulder as she headed away from the bar. Groaning, Summers dug his hands into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pin. Pinning it to his tank, Hank could see his name was Alex.
“So here you go… for your friend.” Alex said with a smirk.
“How much?”
“For your nicely dressed friend this one is on the house.”
Hank rolled his eyes again and wondered how many times he would do that tonight. “Thanks Alex,” he said coolly and walked back to Raven.
“What took you so long?” Raven asked when he handed her the drink.
“The bartender…”
Raven turned to look at Alex. “Oh, he’s yummy. I should have gotten this myself.”
“Well then, you’re on your own for the next one.”
“Oh honey,” Raven gently patted Hank on the leg. “I don’t plan on getting any of my drinks myself. And I don’t plan on paying for them either.” She winked at him with a laugh.
“That reminds me,” Hank pulled her money out of his pocket. “That one was on the house.”
Raven laughed some more before grinning like the Cheshire cat. “I knew this night was going to be a good night.”
Then, asking for everyone to quiet down, Tabitha walked to the center of the room. “Welcome. Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I wish you luck in connecting with that special someone. Now ladies, you are going to each take a table and gentlemen, you are going to rotate to each table at the sound of the buzzer.” Tabitha pressed a gadget in her hand and a loud noise filled the air. “Now you will sit at each table for five minutes before rotating. After three rounds you will be given a short amount of time to refresh your drinks.” Smiling, she gestured to the bar where Alex gave a short wave. “You will each be given a pen and paper that way you can exchange numbers if interested. And then by the end of the night maybe you will have found Mr. or Mrs. Right. We are going to being shortly, so ladies, if you would like to get comfortable and gentlemen, if you would find your starting point, we can get ready to begin.” There was some awkward applause as Tabitha headed back to the bar.
“Well, this is going to be fun,” Hank muttered with a fake grin on his face.
Raven hit him on the shoulder. “Just relax. It is going to be fun. And because I’m so nice, I’ll let you do the first round with me, ok?” She sipped her drink.
“Yeah, thanks.” Hank nodded, relieved. He sat back down at the table and leaned back in the seat. He tried to do as Raven ordered and relax.
“Alright, everyone,” Tabitha called out from the bar. “At the sound of the buzzer we’ll begin. At the signal to change tables, gentlemen please go clockwise. Have fun and good luck to everyone.” She pressed the buzzer again and Hank groaned.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”
“Seriously, stop it. We haven’t been here that long and you keep complaining. Don’t be such a Debbie downer.“ Raven frowned. Hank opened his mouth to say something but she held up a hand to interrupt him. Then Raven reached over and laid her hand on his. Rubbing his hand with her thumb she continued, “Do you want to be alone forever? Really, do you? I’m not saying this is going to work but it’s at least worth a shot. Regardless, if you don’t even try to smile and have some fun, no girl is going to look twice at you. Not here, not on the street, not anywhere. So please, you’re already here. We’ve started, so you can’t just leave. For me… try.” Raven sighed and looked at Hank, her eyes pleading.
Echoing Raven’s sigh, Hank nodded. “Yeah. I can try.” With his free hand he crossed his heart, causing Raven to chuckle.
“You better, because-“
Tabitha pressed the buzzer, signaling that it was time to change tables. The screeching sound of wood scraping against tile filled the room. Following suit, Hank let go of Raven’s hand. He then pushed his chair back and stood up.
“Have fun,” Raven winked as Hank passed by, heading to the next table. Hank rolled his eyes but then forced a smile onto his face as he sat down with one of the redheads he had seen when he first entered the bar.
“Hi there, I’m Hank.”
“Nice to meet you, Hank,” the redhead held out her hand and Hank didn’t hesitate to shake it. “I’m Bridget. Is this your first time doing one of these things?” She questioned. But before Hank could answer, she continued, “It’s mine and I’m a little nervous. But the last guy I met was nice and you look like you’re a nice guy too. And if I keep meeting nice guys, well then I suppose there won’t be any reason for me to be nervous.” While she talked, Bridget, Hank noticed, couldn’t keep her hands still. She picked at her nails, thrummed them on the table, and constantly pushed her bangs back behind her ears. Following each movement with his eyes, Hank attempted to relax in his chair, his hands against his thighs. The last time he could remember someone acting so jittery was when Raven had forced him to see their school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. The girl who had played Chava had passed out from her nerves. Idly Hank thought that maybe if he fainted he could get out of the rest of the evening.
“It’s just, you know,” Bridget didn’t stop and Hank forced himself to pay better attention. “Dating these days is so hard. Everyone is so busy with his or her job and everything that really connecting with someone is almost impossible. And don’t get me started on Internet dating. This seems so much better. You never know what you’re getting into on the Internet. Real freaks make these seemingly nice, innocent profiles and then, bam.” Bridget hit the table with her palm. “They end up being a serial killer or still living with their parents. So I figured meeting someone like this would be so much better. You get a better chance to connect with someone. Do you know what I mean?” Again Hank went to answer but Bridget didn’t give him a chance. “Well, I suppose you must agree at least somewhat, since you’re here.” Then she paused awkwardly. “Oh I’m sorry, my friend told me not to be a chatterbox tonight. But oh, it’s like I can’t stop myself. So what do you do?” She put her hands over her mouth to keep herself from talking more.
Hank leaned back in his chair, a little taken back by the woman before him. He liked to tease Raven by calling her a chatterbox but somehow he knew that she didn’t hold a candle to Bridget. “Well, I teach math and science at the middle school level.”
“Oh really, two subjects? Neither of those subjects are what I would call my forte. I’m more of an art kind of girl. I barely passed math and science when I was in school. In fact, I even had to go to summer school the summer before junior year to make up my math class. It was absolutely dreadful! The school was hot as hell and oh… I’m doing it again. So um, how did you come to teach both classes?” Bridget put her hands back in front of her mouth.
“Well I got my teaching certificate in Ohio and many of the schools there want you to be proficient in two subjects. So when I moved here and the principle saw my certifications, well, I’m pretty sure that’s why I was hired.”
“So you must be really smart. But you know, I bet you were hired because you’re pretty cute too.”
Hank felt himself flush at the compliment and attempted to downplay it. “Well, I’m pretty sure Mr. Worthington, who is straight and married, didn’t take my looks into consideration.”
“Oh and you’re funny too! I bet that makes you a real hit with -“
Tabitha’s buzzer sounded, signaling it was the time to move on.
“It was nice to meet you,” Hank said as he pushed away from the table. He didn’t hesitate to stand, eager to get away from the table.
“Oh you too,” Bridget said with a hopeful grin. “Maybe we’ll talk more during the break.”
Hank nodded noncommittally and moved on.
Continue
Author: blumvale
Artist: cylin
Verse: XM:FC - AU
Word Count: 15,909
Characters/Pairings - Alex/Hank, (Raven/Janos mentioned)
Beta - the lovely, amazing, fantastic and every word in-between Mondays_eyes - thanks so much hun!!
Rating - PG-13
Summary: Raven convinces Hank to try speed dating. Initially, Hank is quite wary about the whole thing. Once at the bar, the first person he meets is Alex, the bartender. While Alex lends his ear to Hank’s dating woes, the two men grow closer until Hank realizes, maybe speed dating was the best idea Raven has ever had.
Hank looked at the neon sign outside the Dublin Pub and let out a long-suffering sigh. He did not want to be there but the text he'd just received from Raven said she was already inside, waiting for him. Smoothing his jacket, Hank forced his feet forward.
It was Speed Dating night at the bar and it was the last place he wanted to be. All Hank wanted to do was go home and curl up on the couch with a book or maybe get some grading out of the way. But Raven had made him promise to join her. Entering the bar, Hank didn't immediately see his friend. Instead, he saw a couple redheads chatting happily with each other and some men standing awkwardly against the wall. Wearing glasses, dressed in khakis and a sweater and jacket, Hank blended in with the other men in that they all looked uncomfortable to be there. Suddenly someone bumped Hank from behind. Hank turned to see a guy who looked to be a few years younger than he wearing a white wife beater, jeans and black high tops. "Sorry man," the guy said as he hurried past and headed to the bar. Hank watched him go before feeling arms wrap around his waist. "Raven," he said as he turned to hug his friend.
"I'm glad you showed up. I thought you might ditch me."
"You know I wouldn't do that to you." Hank chuckled, knowing that if he had stood her up she would have murdered him and made it look like an accident. Raven was gorgeous in her tight black pants and burgundy top. He couldn't understand why she was resorting to speed dating to meet guys. But deep down he knew she was really there for him. Since they had started working together three years prior, Raven was constantly trying to set him up on blind dates or introduce him to friends she knew outside of the school where they taught. After the first couple disasters Hank had absolutely refused to go on another set-up. So she'd started begging him to join her while she attempted to find a boyfriend. Sometimes he couldn't figure out which was worse. Although, he did save money on beer by joining Raven when she went out. She'd buy a couple rounds for her 'wingman' and two beers usually ended up being enough for Hank.
Raven lead Hank to the nearest two-top. "So how long did you stand outside before you came in?" She asked.
Hank chuckled again; she could always read him so easily. "About ten minutes."
"Mmm hmm," Raven nodded, a smirk on her lips. "Well I guess that's not too bad." Hank just shrugged. "I'm really excited for this. You know my friend Moira. Well, she met her ex-boyfriend at one of these things."
"And that's good?" Hank questioned, focusing on the ‘ex’ part..
"Well, yeah." Raven replied like it was the most obvious answer. Hank waited for her to roll her eyes like the child she sometimes acted like. "They dated for like eight months so there's gotta be something to it. And he seemed like a really nice guy too. It's too bad he ended up being a jerk and cheating on her."
"Oh yeah, you're really building up my excitement for this experience."
This time Raven did roll her eyes. "It'll be fun." She made a cross over her heart. "I promise." Then Raven shifted in her chair to get a full 360 of the room. She grinned brightly as she did so. "So anyone here catch your eye?”
“Aren’t we supposed to sit down and talk to people?” Hank asked confused. Wasn’t that the point of speed dating, to ‘connect’ to people in five minutes?
“Yes, we’re going to sit down with people shortly, but come on. You’ve got two working eyes and some of the people here are hot. So? Anyone strike your fancy?”
Hank let his eyes do another sweep of the room. More people had arrived since Raven had found him and he had to admit he was getting more intimidated by the whole situation as time increased. His eyes settled back on the young man behind the bar. He watched the kid as he moved and grabbed random bottles of liquor to serve patrons already in line. Turning back to Raven, Hank shook his head. “No. Not really.”
She looked almost disappointed in his answer. “Oh well. Once you talk to some people, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.” Hank only nodded in response. Then Raven pulled some money out of her purse and shoved it into Hank’s hands. “Please go get me a gin and tonic.”
Hank started to stand when Raven touched his arm.
“And don’t forget the-“
“Splash of cranberry juice and the lime, yes dear.” Raven laughed softly and Hank rolled his eyes. He knew her order and did not understand why she always felt the need to remind him of it. Making his way over to the bar, Hank was relieved to see the bartender had been quick with the others and there was no line in front of him.
“What can I get you?” The young man asked when Hank leaned against the bar. Hank was careful where he placed his arms, as it seemed someone was already careless with their drink and had spilled some of it on the counter. Noticing Hank’s annoyance, the man pulled out a towel and mopped up the mess. “Sorry about that. One of the guys over there,” the guy jerked his head to the side. Hank followed the movement so that he was looking at a short balding man in a green jacket. “He’s apparently really nervous and his hands were shaking when I handed him his drink.”
Hank shrugged at the small talk. “It happens. Can I please get a gin and tonic with a splash of cranberry juice and a lime?” The bartenders eyebrows rose up into his hairline and Hank felt the need to defend himself. “It’s for my friend.”
“Sure it is,” the other man teased as he grabbed a clean glass and placed it on the counter.
“It is,” Hank found himself saying as he turned to point to Raven. Luckily she wasn’t facing him; instead she was making eyes at a man across the room.
“Sure,” The man said again and then he actually looked to where Hank had pointed and made a whistling sound. “Damn, she’s-“ He cut off when Hank glared at him. “I mean, she’s… nicely dressed.”
“Uh-huh.” Hank started to say more when a portly woman made her way over to the bar.
“Summers! Where’s your nametag? And don’t think I didn’t notice you come in late. But,” the woman said with a large smile, “You can make it up to me by staying for inventory.”
“Ah, come on Smith, Tabitha that’s Jono’s job.”
“Yes, and Jonothon called in to say he won’t be coming in tomorrow ‘cause he’s sick. Now if you were calling in sick, I wouldn’t believe you.”
“That hurts.” Summers said with a grin.
“But Jonothon never calls out so I believe him. Which means you,” Tabitha smiled again, this one sweeter than the last, “Get to do inventory. Don’t forget your name tag.” She called over her shoulder as she headed away from the bar. Groaning, Summers dug his hands into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pin. Pinning it to his tank, Hank could see his name was Alex.
“So here you go… for your friend.” Alex said with a smirk.
“How much?”
“For your nicely dressed friend this one is on the house.”
Hank rolled his eyes again and wondered how many times he would do that tonight. “Thanks Alex,” he said coolly and walked back to Raven.
“What took you so long?” Raven asked when he handed her the drink.
“The bartender…”
Raven turned to look at Alex. “Oh, he’s yummy. I should have gotten this myself.”
“Well then, you’re on your own for the next one.”
“Oh honey,” Raven gently patted Hank on the leg. “I don’t plan on getting any of my drinks myself. And I don’t plan on paying for them either.” She winked at him with a laugh.
“That reminds me,” Hank pulled her money out of his pocket. “That one was on the house.”
Raven laughed some more before grinning like the Cheshire cat. “I knew this night was going to be a good night.”
Then, asking for everyone to quiet down, Tabitha walked to the center of the room. “Welcome. Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I wish you luck in connecting with that special someone. Now ladies, you are going to each take a table and gentlemen, you are going to rotate to each table at the sound of the buzzer.” Tabitha pressed a gadget in her hand and a loud noise filled the air. “Now you will sit at each table for five minutes before rotating. After three rounds you will be given a short amount of time to refresh your drinks.” Smiling, she gestured to the bar where Alex gave a short wave. “You will each be given a pen and paper that way you can exchange numbers if interested. And then by the end of the night maybe you will have found Mr. or Mrs. Right. We are going to being shortly, so ladies, if you would like to get comfortable and gentlemen, if you would find your starting point, we can get ready to begin.” There was some awkward applause as Tabitha headed back to the bar.
“Well, this is going to be fun,” Hank muttered with a fake grin on his face.
Raven hit him on the shoulder. “Just relax. It is going to be fun. And because I’m so nice, I’ll let you do the first round with me, ok?” She sipped her drink.
“Yeah, thanks.” Hank nodded, relieved. He sat back down at the table and leaned back in the seat. He tried to do as Raven ordered and relax.
“Alright, everyone,” Tabitha called out from the bar. “At the sound of the buzzer we’ll begin. At the signal to change tables, gentlemen please go clockwise. Have fun and good luck to everyone.” She pressed the buzzer again and Hank groaned.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”
“Seriously, stop it. We haven’t been here that long and you keep complaining. Don’t be such a Debbie downer.“ Raven frowned. Hank opened his mouth to say something but she held up a hand to interrupt him. Then Raven reached over and laid her hand on his. Rubbing his hand with her thumb she continued, “Do you want to be alone forever? Really, do you? I’m not saying this is going to work but it’s at least worth a shot. Regardless, if you don’t even try to smile and have some fun, no girl is going to look twice at you. Not here, not on the street, not anywhere. So please, you’re already here. We’ve started, so you can’t just leave. For me… try.” Raven sighed and looked at Hank, her eyes pleading.
Echoing Raven’s sigh, Hank nodded. “Yeah. I can try.” With his free hand he crossed his heart, causing Raven to chuckle.
“You better, because-“
Tabitha pressed the buzzer, signaling that it was time to change tables. The screeching sound of wood scraping against tile filled the room. Following suit, Hank let go of Raven’s hand. He then pushed his chair back and stood up.
“Have fun,” Raven winked as Hank passed by, heading to the next table. Hank rolled his eyes but then forced a smile onto his face as he sat down with one of the redheads he had seen when he first entered the bar.
“Hi there, I’m Hank.”
“Nice to meet you, Hank,” the redhead held out her hand and Hank didn’t hesitate to shake it. “I’m Bridget. Is this your first time doing one of these things?” She questioned. But before Hank could answer, she continued, “It’s mine and I’m a little nervous. But the last guy I met was nice and you look like you’re a nice guy too. And if I keep meeting nice guys, well then I suppose there won’t be any reason for me to be nervous.” While she talked, Bridget, Hank noticed, couldn’t keep her hands still. She picked at her nails, thrummed them on the table, and constantly pushed her bangs back behind her ears. Following each movement with his eyes, Hank attempted to relax in his chair, his hands against his thighs. The last time he could remember someone acting so jittery was when Raven had forced him to see their school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. The girl who had played Chava had passed out from her nerves. Idly Hank thought that maybe if he fainted he could get out of the rest of the evening.
“It’s just, you know,” Bridget didn’t stop and Hank forced himself to pay better attention. “Dating these days is so hard. Everyone is so busy with his or her job and everything that really connecting with someone is almost impossible. And don’t get me started on Internet dating. This seems so much better. You never know what you’re getting into on the Internet. Real freaks make these seemingly nice, innocent profiles and then, bam.” Bridget hit the table with her palm. “They end up being a serial killer or still living with their parents. So I figured meeting someone like this would be so much better. You get a better chance to connect with someone. Do you know what I mean?” Again Hank went to answer but Bridget didn’t give him a chance. “Well, I suppose you must agree at least somewhat, since you’re here.” Then she paused awkwardly. “Oh I’m sorry, my friend told me not to be a chatterbox tonight. But oh, it’s like I can’t stop myself. So what do you do?” She put her hands over her mouth to keep herself from talking more.
Hank leaned back in his chair, a little taken back by the woman before him. He liked to tease Raven by calling her a chatterbox but somehow he knew that she didn’t hold a candle to Bridget. “Well, I teach math and science at the middle school level.”
“Oh really, two subjects? Neither of those subjects are what I would call my forte. I’m more of an art kind of girl. I barely passed math and science when I was in school. In fact, I even had to go to summer school the summer before junior year to make up my math class. It was absolutely dreadful! The school was hot as hell and oh… I’m doing it again. So um, how did you come to teach both classes?” Bridget put her hands back in front of her mouth.
“Well I got my teaching certificate in Ohio and many of the schools there want you to be proficient in two subjects. So when I moved here and the principle saw my certifications, well, I’m pretty sure that’s why I was hired.”
“So you must be really smart. But you know, I bet you were hired because you’re pretty cute too.”
Hank felt himself flush at the compliment and attempted to downplay it. “Well, I’m pretty sure Mr. Worthington, who is straight and married, didn’t take my looks into consideration.”
“Oh and you’re funny too! I bet that makes you a real hit with -“
Tabitha’s buzzer sounded, signaling it was the time to move on.
“It was nice to meet you,” Hank said as he pushed away from the table. He didn’t hesitate to stand, eager to get away from the table.
“Oh you too,” Bridget said with a hopeful grin. “Maybe we’ll talk more during the break.”
Hank nodded noncommittally and moved on.
Continue