RP: Tell me what you eat...

[rar_lisa]

Date: 25 June 1999
Characters: Lisa Turpin, Anthony Goldstein
Location: Anthony's flat
Status: Private
Summary: Lisa and Anthony have dinner.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[rar_anthony]

Anthony had wanted to see how Lisa was holding up, so he'd owled her and asked her to dinner at his flat. Nothing fancy, really, just chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and mushrooms. He'd gone home for the weekend and his mum had been delighted to show him a few simple dishes to cook for himself or for company.

He was washing his hands at the kitchen sink when a knock sounded on the door. "If that's Lisa, come in," he called. He grabbed a towel and dried his hands as he gave a quick glance around the room to make certain everything was in place.

[rar_lisa]

Lisa heard him call for her to come in, and she shook her head as she went inside and closed the door behind her. "And what if I wasn't me?" she said, putting one hand on her hip. "Were you just going to leave not-me standing out in the hall? That's not very hospitable of you, Goldstein."

Then she held out the wine, grinning. "Smells good. Did you actually cook?"

[rar_anthony]

Anthony cocked his head at Lisa and smirked. "Depends on who exactly not-you happened to be," he said.

He took the wine from Lisa, thanking her, and studied the label as if he had any idea what a good wine would say on the label. "I did actually cook, yes," he said, "I think I'm as surprised as you are. Had my mum show me a few things this weekend. You do like mushrooms, right?" He knew not everyone did, but he hoped Lisa was a fan.

[rar_lisa]

"Yeah, mushrooms are all right," she said, shrugging. Anthony was examining the wine more like it was a strange magical creature than something they were supposed to drink with dinner. Giving him a playfully exasperated look, she took it back from him and opened it with her wand. "You have wine glasses?"

Lisa leaned casually against the table, watching him manoeuvre in the kitchen. "You went home this weekend? Me, too, actually. Except my mum didn't show me how to cook...just hovered a lot."

[rar_lisa]

She was relieved that he took the subject and ran with it, and Anthony seemed equally relieved to talk about something else.

"I think I need to make a trip soon," Lisa said, still contemplating her food. She needed to eat, and it would be rude not to when he'd gone to so much trouble. "Unless you've anything you'd like to let me borrow, of course. I'll always take free over cheap." She took another bite of chicken, chewing slowly. "I'm not sure I can imagine you at work sitting back in your chair, feet propped up on a desk, no matter how entertaining the book."

[rar_anthony]

"Sure, I have a couple you might like." Anthony stood, having finished his dinner, and crossed the room to his bookshelves. He selected three volumes and went for a fourth, but hesitated. It was the book that had Marlinspike's name written inside the cover, and Anthony had quite liked it, but he wasn't sure he wanted Lisa to see the name and make some kind of connection that wasn't there. Finally he shook his head at his own ridiculousness and brought all four books back to the table, setting them next to Lisa

[rar_lisa]

Anthony finished off his food and started digging through his bookshelves. Lisa felt bad that he'd already finished eating, and here she was picking at a plate still half full. She took another couple of large bites as he picked out some books, hoping to make it seem as if she'd eaten most of it, at least.

He brought back four books and set them next to her as he cleared his plate. She flipped through them, immediately removing the top book and handing it back to him. "Read this one already. And you're right, horribly depressing. Read the Sherlock Holmes, too, but not in several years, and I don't own it." Once she'd finished reading the blurbs about each, she straightened the remaining books back into a neat stack. "Thanks. These look good."

"Oh, he's learned your name now? Congratulations!" Lisa laughed a little, finally starting to feel a little better, more at ease once again. "I'm glad, because NotBrocklehurstorMarlinspike was just far too cumbersome."

[rar_anthony]

Lisa wasn't eating much, and Anthony wondered if maybe she'd just been being polite about the mushrooms. Next time he'd ask in advance. At least she looked interested in a couple of the books he'd selected for her. "You're welcome. Let me know what you think."

"He has! Mostly, anyway. I still get 'Hebrew Boy' once in a while when he's exceptionally rushed, and he seems to call everyone 'You' now and then, but usually he manages Goldstein. And you're right, that name was a bit much." Anthony grinned and sat back down, picking up his wineglass again.