(Untitled)

[hadyougoing]

By the time Ava has gone upstairs, showered, and come back down in a tank top and little sweater (aaaand the very lovely, very ambitious high heels that she found just lying there by the door), she feels generally more relaxed

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[stilljustandrew]

Come on.

You can do this.

Andrew's standing there, several yards away and out of Ava's direct line of sight.

You have to do this.

A deep breath, and he starts in her direction.

[hadyougoing]

Ava, for her part, is primarily wondering if I just wanted to say isn't an inexcusably wussy turn of phrase.

She is a little paranoid these days, but at the moment ... she's distracted.

So even though she's watching out for Andrew, she doesn't catch sight of him just yet.

[stilljustandrew]

You can --

"Ava?"

[hadyougoing]

Ava jumps, whirling around abruptly.

"Andrew!"

She claps her notebook shut and peers at him over the back of her chair.

"Hey ... what's up?"

[stilljustandrew]

He tries for a smile.

"Have you got a minute? Like, to talk?"

[hadyougoing]

... Man, even if she hadn't talked with Sam these would be major something-is-up signals.

(Although, she realizes dimly, she probably would've just thought that Andrew was about to confess his warm fuzzy feelings or something.

That would have been an awkward conversation.)

"Sure!" she says, gamely.

"I actually even have more than a minute! If you need."

[stilljustandrew]

(If he hadn't talked with Sam, chances are good he would in fact be about to confess said warm fuzzy feelings.

Just as well, perhaps.)

"Might be good," he says, "actually, yeah."

A glance around.

"Can we go somewhere quieter? Um ... outside, maybe?"

[hadyougoing]

... She's not allowed to kill him.

Mantra, Miss Wilson.

"Okay!" she says, frowning.

"Uh, hold on," getting to her feet and gesturing vaguely with the notebook, "can I leave this with Bar?"

[stilljustandrew]

He nods, and steps back. "Sure."

[hadyougoing]

A few moments later, Ava is empty-handed and walking towards him, brushing her hands off on her jeans.

Man she likes these shoes.

"Okay," she says brightly.

"Where to?"

[stilljustandrew]

He tilts his head toward the back door. "Is out back good?"

[hadyougoing]

... What is going on.

Andrew wouldn't attack her, even if he did think she was evil.

Right?

"Yyyyes?"

Maybe it's just for the privacy, but Ava can't help but think of outdoors as that-place-where-the-rules-get-sort-of-nebulous.

[stilljustandrew]

She's not wrong.

"Okay." Soft.

He starts toward the door, and doesn't glance over his shoulder.

[stillbecoming]

If he did, he might see a flash of movement, not far from where he was originally standing.

[hadyougoing]

Ava is watching Andrew, and therefore not her peripheral vision.

... Or at least not until she thinks she sees something, because boy did she ever learn that lesson in Cold Oak. But by the time she glances around, everybody she can see looks fairly innocuous.

P.S. Andrew, way to be dramatic. Ava picks up the pace to catch up with him as they exit the bar.

[stilljustandrew]

Once outside, he puts both hands in his pockets.

"Walk or sit?" he asks her.

Yes, he's stalling. And knows it. And is trying to stop.