Backlog: On Your Mark, Get Set...Girl!
Who: Emma and Nolan
When: Wednesday, March 2, 2019
Where: A sidewalk and Nolan’s apartment
What: Jogging and a minor girly squabble
“If I was stranded on a tropical island...” Emma was slightly breathless as she spoke. She pressed into Nolan’s side some as she made room on the path for another woman pushing a stroller in the opposite direction that the two of them were jogging. “And had to pick between Emma Watson and Zoe Saldana to bring with me to live on this gorgeous island...” Emma looked over at Nolan, “How are either of those options an actual punishment?”
“Huh. Good point,” Nolan panted, a pensive look on his face before he adorned a lopsided grin at the look she was giving him. “What? They were the first celebs I thought of! And hey, I never said this island was gorgeous and tropical. Maybe it’s cold and deserted! Or maybe it has polar bears and hatches and an indigenous population that likes to kidnap people. Or maybe there’s like piranhas in the water and shit...”
“Shut up. That doesn’t even make sense."
Emma rolled her eyes at him. "When asked the deserted island question, the island must of course be beautiful and tropic. It’s a rule.” Emma was silent for a moment, picking up her pace slightly for the final sprint back to Nolan’s. “If I had to pick...I would choose, Brittany.”
Nolan scoffed as he hastened beside her. “It makes a shitload of sense! What’s the point of this scenario if it’s pina coladas and sunshine? C’mon now.” He smirked in response. “Try to be any cheesier. I dare you.”
“It wouldn’t be all pina coladas and sunshine.” Emma said. “Brittany would probably fall in love with some furry island creature and I would lose my right arm trying to feed it or something.”
Nolan just shook his head at the smile forming on her face. “Okay, never mind. Jeez. This whole relationship thing sure has done a number on you, Rodriguez,” he teased. “You don’t see me all googly eyed.” They reached the curb in front of his complex and he took a few breathes before speaking again. “You know, Karen would probably punch me if I turned all sappy. She hates when I get sentimental.” He paused, clearing his throat. “Not that I get sentimental...”
“KC would also laugh at you for how badly you’re about to lose.” Emma said with a laugh before taking off. The sprint wasn’t that bad but they’d agreed that instead of using the elevator the stairs would be part of the jog as well. Nolan’s fire fighter training was definitely useful there and he always caught up at that part. But as soon as Emma reached the landing to his floor she knew she was home free. She reached out to touch his door but suddenly felt his arm around her waist, holding her back. “No, cheater!” She exclaimed struggling against him as he managed to pull her back even further.
Nolan laughed as he easily picked her up and placed her behind him. She seemed to be confused for a couple seconds long enough for him to run in front of her and reach the door before her. Turning to face her, he grinned before feigning innocence with a shrug. “What?”
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not paying for drinks, you cheated. I totally would’ve won if you hadn’t picked me up like I was some fire fighting dummy.” She poked him in the shoulder. “Redeem yourself by opening the door so I can take a shower...cheater.”
Nolan raised his hands in surrender. “Down, Bessie. You’ll get your booze and shower in a sec. Don’t be such a sore loser.” Smirking, he retrieved his keys from his hoodie pocket and unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Ladies first.”
Emma shook her head as she walked past him and into his apartment. She headed to the kitchen and poured them both a glass of water. She felt her breathing steadily returning to normal as she handed Nolan his cup and took a drink out of her own. “Are we eating here or are we goin to grab something on the way to the bar?”
Thanking her for the glass, Nolan took a swig before answering. “I dunno.” He glanced at the time on the microwave and shrugged. “We have time for either. Your call.”
“I will take an inappropriately long shower, leaving you with very little warm water and we will grab something on the way over.” Setting her glass on the counter Emma moved to grab the bag with her change of clothes. She frowned. “I forgot to bring my body wash. Now I’m going to smell like man spice or...whatever it is that you use.”
Nolan drained his glass before grabbing Emma’s and setting them both in the sink. “I think there’s some girly crap KC left in there. Knock yourself out.”
“Uh oh,” Emma teased as she headed back to the bathroom. “She’s stayed the night?”
Nolan rolled his eyes. “This isn’t Amish country, Em.” He thought about it for a second before calling after her. “...Actually, I think there might be some Amish people here. But that’s beside the point!”
Laughing as she pulls her shirt off Emma decides not to reply. She tosses the dirty shirt into her bag and then goes over to turn the water on, checking out the various bottles as she waits for it to heat up. She picks up the bottle of, what she assumes, is KC’s shampoo. It’s too light in her hands and she realizes that if she were to use it KC would definitely notice the next time she was over. She doesn’t want to cause any problems so she sets and back down and looks for Nolan’s. After a few minutes of looking she can’t find it and she exits the bathroom. “Hey,” she looks into the kitchen, Nolan isn’t there so she continues into the living room. “Where is your shampoo?”
Flipping through the video files on his uWatch console, Nolan replied distractedly. “I thought you didn’t want to smell like man...” He caught sight of her walking into the room wearing a red sports bra. “...spice.” Belatedly realizing he was staring, Nolan snapped himself out of it. “Uh, there should be some in the hallway cabinet thing. What, you didn’t wanna use KC’s? I thought all girls liked that flowery crap.” He cleared his throat and resumed his search for something to watch.
“Yeah,” Emma replied pulling her hair out of the ponytail she’d had it in, she quickly combed her fingers through the dark strands. “But KC’s is kinda almost empty. I don’t want you to get in trouble. You could be a good boyfriend and replace the bottle for her.”
“Maybe,” Nolan shrugged, smiling a little. “Although last time I tried something like that I got an earful about her being self-sufficient.”
Emma laughs shaking her head. “I really need to meet this girl.” She paused as Nolan simply nodded, his gaze sliding away from her face. Suddenly she got it. That awkward pause a few moments ago and now the way he’s staring so intently at a commercial. The realization hits her and it’s hilarious. She’s laughing so hard she can barely get the words out. “You’re trying not to check me out.”
Startled by her laughter, his attention had snapped back to her. At her statement, though, he looked away again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trying to stifle her laughter she lays a hand over her mouth. It serves to muffle the sound some but she’s sure Nolan can still hear her. “I’m sorry” she said taking in a shaky breath, “I totally forgot. But it’s okay...you don’t have to admit it. I’ll keep your secret.”
Nolan scowled as she tried and failed to stop laughing. “Dude, it’s not my fault that most of the time I forget that you’re...well, not a dude!” Resenting her amusement, he attempted to keep his frown intact, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth anyway. “Oh, shut up and go shower.”
Nolan’s comment ended Emma’s laughter. “Excuse me?”
He stared at her. “What?”
“If I remember correctly I’m woman enough for you to joke about me going down on you.” Emma held her hands up in front of her, “but hey, maybe you were thinking of me as a dude then too? You know I wouldn’t care, I’d still love you. Although I would strongly encourage you to tell KC.”
“Yeah well, like you said, I was joking. Like I’m guessing you are.” He shrugged and looked back at the TV. He had had platonic girl friends in the past who hadn’t been bothered that he considered them as one of the guys. Guess he now knew better than to assume the same for Emma.
“You don’t just tell a woman that you forget she’s a woman. Who does that, Nolan?” Emma couldn’t help but pout.
Wondering why this was even an issue, Nolan sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. All I was saying is that I don't devote massive amounts of time to thinking about your gender 'cause I can usually hang with you like I would with any of my bros. Like I thought we could just chill with no drama between us." Though he eyed her pout in mild annoyance, Nolan kept his tone and expression neutral. "My mistake."
Emma sighed looking down. Nolan was actually making her feel bad about how she reacted. “Sorry...or something.” She said looking back up.
Nolan’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He hadn’t meant for this to turn into a serious issue or anything, but even though they had a teasing sort of friendship, sometimes it felt like there was a really fine line between joking and verbal warfare with her. He had just wanted to get his point across. He decided to shrug it off now.
“It’s cool, Em. Tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I swear I’ll never again question your...well, I was going to say ‘womanhood’ but I seriously can’t be the only one who thinks that’s an awkward ass word.” He smiled a little, hoping to alleviate the sudden tension.
Emma smiled. How could she not with Nolan looking at her like that. “Hug” She said opening her arms.
Nolan’s smile stretched into a cheeky grin as he stood, scoffing and shaking his head. “So demanding.” He stepped into her embrace. “There. Happy now?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her in return.
“Yes.” Emma said. Her voice muffled by his shoulder. “I’m sorry for being a bitchy girl and if you ever mention that I was...well, I’ll think of something and it won’t be pleasant.”
“Ah, no worries. I still love you.” Nolan smirked at her death threat. “And duly noted.” He let her go then nodded towards the bathroom. “Now go shower. You smell.”
“I hate you too.” Emma said as she stepped back. She grabbed a fresh bottle of his body wash from the closet. “You and your man spice.”
When: Wednesday, March 2, 2019
Where: A sidewalk and Nolan’s apartment
What: Jogging and a minor girly squabble
“If I was stranded on a tropical island...” Emma was slightly breathless as she spoke. She pressed into Nolan’s side some as she made room on the path for another woman pushing a stroller in the opposite direction that the two of them were jogging. “And had to pick between Emma Watson and Zoe Saldana to bring with me to live on this gorgeous island...” Emma looked over at Nolan, “How are either of those options an actual punishment?”
“Huh. Good point,” Nolan panted, a pensive look on his face before he adorned a lopsided grin at the look she was giving him. “What? They were the first celebs I thought of! And hey, I never said this island was gorgeous and tropical. Maybe it’s cold and deserted! Or maybe it has polar bears and hatches and an indigenous population that likes to kidnap people. Or maybe there’s like piranhas in the water and shit...”
“Shut up. That doesn’t even make sense."
Emma rolled her eyes at him. "When asked the deserted island question, the island must of course be beautiful and tropic. It’s a rule.” Emma was silent for a moment, picking up her pace slightly for the final sprint back to Nolan’s. “If I had to pick...I would choose, Brittany.”
Nolan scoffed as he hastened beside her. “It makes a shitload of sense! What’s the point of this scenario if it’s pina coladas and sunshine? C’mon now.” He smirked in response. “Try to be any cheesier. I dare you.”
“It wouldn’t be all pina coladas and sunshine.” Emma said. “Brittany would probably fall in love with some furry island creature and I would lose my right arm trying to feed it or something.”
Nolan just shook his head at the smile forming on her face. “Okay, never mind. Jeez. This whole relationship thing sure has done a number on you, Rodriguez,” he teased. “You don’t see me all googly eyed.” They reached the curb in front of his complex and he took a few breathes before speaking again. “You know, Karen would probably punch me if I turned all sappy. She hates when I get sentimental.” He paused, clearing his throat. “Not that I get sentimental...”
“KC would also laugh at you for how badly you’re about to lose.” Emma said with a laugh before taking off. The sprint wasn’t that bad but they’d agreed that instead of using the elevator the stairs would be part of the jog as well. Nolan’s fire fighter training was definitely useful there and he always caught up at that part. But as soon as Emma reached the landing to his floor she knew she was home free. She reached out to touch his door but suddenly felt his arm around her waist, holding her back. “No, cheater!” She exclaimed struggling against him as he managed to pull her back even further.
Nolan laughed as he easily picked her up and placed her behind him. She seemed to be confused for a couple seconds long enough for him to run in front of her and reach the door before her. Turning to face her, he grinned before feigning innocence with a shrug. “What?”
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not paying for drinks, you cheated. I totally would’ve won if you hadn’t picked me up like I was some fire fighting dummy.” She poked him in the shoulder. “Redeem yourself by opening the door so I can take a shower...cheater.”
Nolan raised his hands in surrender. “Down, Bessie. You’ll get your booze and shower in a sec. Don’t be such a sore loser.” Smirking, he retrieved his keys from his hoodie pocket and unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Ladies first.”
Emma shook her head as she walked past him and into his apartment. She headed to the kitchen and poured them both a glass of water. She felt her breathing steadily returning to normal as she handed Nolan his cup and took a drink out of her own. “Are we eating here or are we goin to grab something on the way to the bar?”
Thanking her for the glass, Nolan took a swig before answering. “I dunno.” He glanced at the time on the microwave and shrugged. “We have time for either. Your call.”
“I will take an inappropriately long shower, leaving you with very little warm water and we will grab something on the way over.” Setting her glass on the counter Emma moved to grab the bag with her change of clothes. She frowned. “I forgot to bring my body wash. Now I’m going to smell like man spice or...whatever it is that you use.”
Nolan drained his glass before grabbing Emma’s and setting them both in the sink. “I think there’s some girly crap KC left in there. Knock yourself out.”
“Uh oh,” Emma teased as she headed back to the bathroom. “She’s stayed the night?”
Nolan rolled his eyes. “This isn’t Amish country, Em.” He thought about it for a second before calling after her. “...Actually, I think there might be some Amish people here. But that’s beside the point!”
Laughing as she pulls her shirt off Emma decides not to reply. She tosses the dirty shirt into her bag and then goes over to turn the water on, checking out the various bottles as she waits for it to heat up. She picks up the bottle of, what she assumes, is KC’s shampoo. It’s too light in her hands and she realizes that if she were to use it KC would definitely notice the next time she was over. She doesn’t want to cause any problems so she sets and back down and looks for Nolan’s. After a few minutes of looking she can’t find it and she exits the bathroom. “Hey,” she looks into the kitchen, Nolan isn’t there so she continues into the living room. “Where is your shampoo?”
Flipping through the video files on his uWatch console, Nolan replied distractedly. “I thought you didn’t want to smell like man...” He caught sight of her walking into the room wearing a red sports bra. “...spice.” Belatedly realizing he was staring, Nolan snapped himself out of it. “Uh, there should be some in the hallway cabinet thing. What, you didn’t wanna use KC’s? I thought all girls liked that flowery crap.” He cleared his throat and resumed his search for something to watch.
“Yeah,” Emma replied pulling her hair out of the ponytail she’d had it in, she quickly combed her fingers through the dark strands. “But KC’s is kinda almost empty. I don’t want you to get in trouble. You could be a good boyfriend and replace the bottle for her.”
“Maybe,” Nolan shrugged, smiling a little. “Although last time I tried something like that I got an earful about her being self-sufficient.”
Emma laughs shaking her head. “I really need to meet this girl.” She paused as Nolan simply nodded, his gaze sliding away from her face. Suddenly she got it. That awkward pause a few moments ago and now the way he’s staring so intently at a commercial. The realization hits her and it’s hilarious. She’s laughing so hard she can barely get the words out. “You’re trying not to check me out.”
Startled by her laughter, his attention had snapped back to her. At her statement, though, he looked away again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trying to stifle her laughter she lays a hand over her mouth. It serves to muffle the sound some but she’s sure Nolan can still hear her. “I’m sorry” she said taking in a shaky breath, “I totally forgot. But it’s okay...you don’t have to admit it. I’ll keep your secret.”
Nolan scowled as she tried and failed to stop laughing. “Dude, it’s not my fault that most of the time I forget that you’re...well, not a dude!” Resenting her amusement, he attempted to keep his frown intact, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth anyway. “Oh, shut up and go shower.”
Nolan’s comment ended Emma’s laughter. “Excuse me?”
He stared at her. “What?”
“If I remember correctly I’m woman enough for you to joke about me going down on you.” Emma held her hands up in front of her, “but hey, maybe you were thinking of me as a dude then too? You know I wouldn’t care, I’d still love you. Although I would strongly encourage you to tell KC.”
“Yeah well, like you said, I was joking. Like I’m guessing you are.” He shrugged and looked back at the TV. He had had platonic girl friends in the past who hadn’t been bothered that he considered them as one of the guys. Guess he now knew better than to assume the same for Emma.
“You don’t just tell a woman that you forget she’s a woman. Who does that, Nolan?” Emma couldn’t help but pout.
Wondering why this was even an issue, Nolan sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. All I was saying is that I don't devote massive amounts of time to thinking about your gender 'cause I can usually hang with you like I would with any of my bros. Like I thought we could just chill with no drama between us." Though he eyed her pout in mild annoyance, Nolan kept his tone and expression neutral. "My mistake."
Emma sighed looking down. Nolan was actually making her feel bad about how she reacted. “Sorry...or something.” She said looking back up.
Nolan’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He hadn’t meant for this to turn into a serious issue or anything, but even though they had a teasing sort of friendship, sometimes it felt like there was a really fine line between joking and verbal warfare with her. He had just wanted to get his point across. He decided to shrug it off now.
“It’s cool, Em. Tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I swear I’ll never again question your...well, I was going to say ‘womanhood’ but I seriously can’t be the only one who thinks that’s an awkward ass word.” He smiled a little, hoping to alleviate the sudden tension.
Emma smiled. How could she not with Nolan looking at her like that. “Hug” She said opening her arms.
Nolan’s smile stretched into a cheeky grin as he stood, scoffing and shaking his head. “So demanding.” He stepped into her embrace. “There. Happy now?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her in return.
“Yes.” Emma said. Her voice muffled by his shoulder. “I’m sorry for being a bitchy girl and if you ever mention that I was...well, I’ll think of something and it won’t be pleasant.”
“Ah, no worries. I still love you.” Nolan smirked at her death threat. “And duly noted.” He let her go then nodded towards the bathroom. “Now go shower. You smell.”
“I hate you too.” Emma said as she stepped back. She grabbed a fresh bottle of his body wash from the closet. “You and your man spice.”