Preparation
"God, I don't know," Chandra mutters, holding one earring up to her ear, shaking her head and trying another until finally Elizabeth, growing exasperated with her, swats her hands away and tries herself, finding a pair of sparkling blue clusters that enhances the white and blue blouse perfectly, bringing out her eyes as a side effect. "How do you do this every time?"
"Because I'm usually the one with her head on straight?" Elizabeth offers off of a laugh as Chandra sinks down onto her bed and stares at herself in the mirror. "You look gorgeous."
"You really think so?"
"I know so, Cameron's going to be dazzled by you." Elizabeth sits down and wraps an arm around the other woman, squeezing her companionably. "So where's he taking you?"
"I think he mentioned it, but I forgot," she confesses. "Somewhere fancy, I remember that much... but I've blanked on the actual name." She winces at the look on Elizabeth's face. "I know, I'm terrible, it's just... It's hard to focus on what he's saying when his accent is so melodic, and his eyes are so beautiful, and I just can't really listen..."
"You know, this is why most women get angry at men." Elizabeth laughs and shakes her head as Chandra tries to catch her breath after merely imagining once more holding a conversation with the handsome British man.
"I don't think I'm going to pull this off," she whines. "I can barely remember where we're going, how am I going to be able to uphold a conversation with him once we actually get there?"
Elizabeth sighs and stands, finding a long ago abandoned bottle of water and handing it over to Chandra who eyes it warily before taking some plaintive sips from it, not wanting to spill any on her clothes. "You're going to take deep breaths and focus on him, maybe more than just his eyes and accent this time, and actually speak to the man. You'll be surprised how far it gets you, I'm sure."
"I know you're right," she sighs. "I just haven't been on a date in a long time..."
"Well, that was obvious when I all but had to throw you at him at the beach." Elizabeth laughs when Chandra glares halfheartedly at her. "This won't be like then, anyway. By what I've seen, Cameron seems like a true gentleman, unlike the jerks you usually attract. I wouldn't have encouraged you otherwise."
Chandra rolls her eyes and turns away to continue checking her already flawless makeup when the doorbell rings. Elizabeth stands, just to freeze when Chandra grabs her by the arm and stares at her, eyes wide in terror. "What do I do? What do I say? Elizabeth," she hisses. "Help!"
"I think you open the door and say hello," she says, gently prying her arm loose from her friend's sharp grip. "Just relax, Chandra. Everything'll be fine." And just like that, she pushes Chandra out of the bedroom and shuts the door determinedly in her face, leaving her out in the hall with only two options-- to force her way back into her bedroom, thank you very much, and crawl under the covers, refusing to come out until he'd gone... or just go to the front door, pull it open, and greet him, getting swept away by his smile and his eyes, the sound of his voice...
Bracing herself, holding her head up, she walks resolutely to said door and opens it, smiling dazedly out at him as he looks somehow even more handsome in the faint moonlight overhead. "Hello," she somehow pieces together the brainpower required to say such a simple greeting, taking in the blue shirt and black slacks he has on, the night air introducing her to his spicy but not overwhelming aftershave. As he smiles down at her, she files this all away and takes his hand, allowing him to lead her outside to his car.
She's sure Elizabeth is gawking out of a window somewhere, watching them proceed on their date, but she doesn't care right now, only having eyes for him.
"Because I'm usually the one with her head on straight?" Elizabeth offers off of a laugh as Chandra sinks down onto her bed and stares at herself in the mirror. "You look gorgeous."
"You really think so?"
"I know so, Cameron's going to be dazzled by you." Elizabeth sits down and wraps an arm around the other woman, squeezing her companionably. "So where's he taking you?"
"I think he mentioned it, but I forgot," she confesses. "Somewhere fancy, I remember that much... but I've blanked on the actual name." She winces at the look on Elizabeth's face. "I know, I'm terrible, it's just... It's hard to focus on what he's saying when his accent is so melodic, and his eyes are so beautiful, and I just can't really listen..."
"You know, this is why most women get angry at men." Elizabeth laughs and shakes her head as Chandra tries to catch her breath after merely imagining once more holding a conversation with the handsome British man.
"I don't think I'm going to pull this off," she whines. "I can barely remember where we're going, how am I going to be able to uphold a conversation with him once we actually get there?"
Elizabeth sighs and stands, finding a long ago abandoned bottle of water and handing it over to Chandra who eyes it warily before taking some plaintive sips from it, not wanting to spill any on her clothes. "You're going to take deep breaths and focus on him, maybe more than just his eyes and accent this time, and actually speak to the man. You'll be surprised how far it gets you, I'm sure."
"I know you're right," she sighs. "I just haven't been on a date in a long time..."
"Well, that was obvious when I all but had to throw you at him at the beach." Elizabeth laughs when Chandra glares halfheartedly at her. "This won't be like then, anyway. By what I've seen, Cameron seems like a true gentleman, unlike the jerks you usually attract. I wouldn't have encouraged you otherwise."
Chandra rolls her eyes and turns away to continue checking her already flawless makeup when the doorbell rings. Elizabeth stands, just to freeze when Chandra grabs her by the arm and stares at her, eyes wide in terror. "What do I do? What do I say? Elizabeth," she hisses. "Help!"
"I think you open the door and say hello," she says, gently prying her arm loose from her friend's sharp grip. "Just relax, Chandra. Everything'll be fine." And just like that, she pushes Chandra out of the bedroom and shuts the door determinedly in her face, leaving her out in the hall with only two options-- to force her way back into her bedroom, thank you very much, and crawl under the covers, refusing to come out until he'd gone... or just go to the front door, pull it open, and greet him, getting swept away by his smile and his eyes, the sound of his voice...
Bracing herself, holding her head up, she walks resolutely to said door and opens it, smiling dazedly out at him as he looks somehow even more handsome in the faint moonlight overhead. "Hello," she somehow pieces together the brainpower required to say such a simple greeting, taking in the blue shirt and black slacks he has on, the night air introducing her to his spicy but not overwhelming aftershave. As he smiles down at her, she files this all away and takes his hand, allowing him to lead her outside to his car.
She's sure Elizabeth is gawking out of a window somewhere, watching them proceed on their date, but she doesn't care right now, only having eyes for him.